The hand that holds me to you still
by Tigrus Firahart
Summary: Naraku is dead, and everything is back to normal in feudal Japan. In a surge of sadness and hate, Kagome returned to the present. Six years later, and married to Hojo,Kagome now feels the heart that melded with hers call out to her.Will she heed the call?
1. The door that was left open

**DISCLAIMER: let it be known that I do not own anything of the Inuyasha universe. I'm just using them temporarily, but it would be nice to live like that…**

_**Time…**_

_**It is something that nothing and no one will have control over…**_

_**It guides us, whether we like or not, to our preordained destines…**_

_**But what if, in some way, you could fight against the current of time and order, and forge your own destiny?**_

_**Let me tell you the trials of two people, separated by time, but together by heart…**_

"**I really need to go home…"** Kagome Higurashi said to herself tiredly as she walked inside the train car, anxious to go home. She made sure that other people could get in easily before she let her mind wander again, her eyes staring into nothing as she heard the doors close behind her, the train moving at a steady speed.

"**I wonder what Hojo-kun is doing…"** she said mentally, although she already new the answer. The unconsciously fiddled with the gold wedding ring on her finger as she thought of her husband. He would be probably doing the same thing as she was doing. Kagome closed her eyes as she imagine her husband coming into the door, a smile on his face. Kagome couldn't stop the small, but sad smile that came to her face when she imagined Hojo's smiling face and opened her eyes when she felt the train slowly come to a stop.

"**Fukuoka district…this is the last stop on this line, please exit the train and please watch your step…"** Kagome turned around and watched the doors open in front of her, and slowly walked out of the train, walking towards the stations exit.

Kagome heard her heels make a slight sound as she slowly walked home. She put her hands in her jacket pockets as she continued to think.

_Why am I not happy? _

This was a question that often she found herself asking whenever she had a minute to rest. She had a faithful husband, a flourishing job as a doctor, a nice place, why was she not blissfully happy? Kagome stopped in front of her two-story house and looked up into the empty sky, and said one name as she gazed at the star-less sky.

"**Inuyasha…"** Kagome's long black hair played with the wind as she then slowly walked to the front door of her home, and fished out her keys from her coat pocket. She opened the door and was greeted by darkness and silence. Hojo's train must be running late. She took off her shoes and put on her house slippers as she turned on the lights in the house. Kagome then made her way to the kitchen and slowly went to the fridge. She took out a small pitcher of water and poured herself a glass of water. She then walked to the sofa in the living room, not even bothering to turn on the television as she plopped herself onto the sofa, her eyes honed in on the ceiling.

It happened so long ago… She was seventeen when it happened, her brush with the fates. But her memories would not let her forget the things she did, the people she met. Kagome was now twenty-three. Six years had passed. Would they still remember her? Most importantly, would he remember her? Six years can do a lot to a person. Kagome then let her mind wander to the memory she cherished and despised the most.

_**six years ago**_

It was nighttime in Kaede's village as everyone was celebrating the death of one of the most feared people in feudal Japan, torches lit to light the celebration, everyone was there, all except two people. They were away from the town, away from the cheers and praises that they deserved.

Amber eyes stared into the tree that used to contain him, and closed them, turning around slowly and looking into the chocolate orbs of a young woman in a school uniform.

"**Its over Inuyasha… it's finally over…"** Kagome said looking into Inuyasha's eyes, before he moved slowly towards her, his injuries still hindering him somewhat. He looked into her eyes and nodded as he slowly wracked his brain for the right things to say, praying to any god that would listen that he would not destroy the only moment they have with each other. He inhaled deeply and slowly spoke.

"**Kagome listen… I have a lot of things to say to you... so please just let me say it all at once… don't disturb me or I fear that I might ruin the only time that I can speak to you without putting my foot in my mouth…"** Kagome slowly nodded, a little anxious that he was so serious.

"**Kagome… throughout our time together, I know I had been… difficult to you… but sometimes… to let someone in is to show your weakness… and for some one like me… a half-breed… showing one's weaknesses can only ensure a quick death. It's something that I had to learn the hard way ever since childhood and the ordeal with Kikyo had solidified the layer around my heart to rock …" **

Kagome watched as she saw Inuyasha's eyes glaze over with an unknown emotion as he continued.

"**From the first moment I saw you Kagome, the rock around my heart felt the first, and probably the most punishing blow. My heart constricted at the sight of you. It was your eyes. I felt like your eyes could see me for who I was. A scared child fumbling around in the darkness. It was also right then that my heart went right back to refortifying its protection." **

Kagome eyes started to water as she heard the heart-felt words that Inuyasha spoke.

"**She'll betray you, lie to you, make you hurt in ways a stab wound or poison could never accomplish..." those were the things that floated though my head as we first started our journey for the jewel shards. But Kagome, time is a funny thing. As our journey went on, and I got to know you better. Every look, every smile, every tear, every argument, every word, whether it was "the word" or hello, slowly chipped away at the layers of rock that shielded my heart. Towards the end of our journey, at the day of the battle with Naraku, something I came to realize something that shattered all of my barriers, freeing me from my self-imposed prison. Do you have any idea what I thought of Kagome?**

Kagome didn't trust her voice in such a delicate situation and just nodded as her eyes clouded over, a bubble forming in her throat. Inuyasha smiled slightly and continued.

"**I came to realize that… I cared for Miroku, for Sango, for Kirara and Shippou, but most importantly, I cared for… you…" **

Kagome couldn't hold back anymore and she felt tears fall down her face as she finally heard something that she had always wanted to hear from the person that held dominion over her heart since the first day she met him. She fell to her knees and held her face in her hands as she cried lightly. Inuyasha bent down and sat on his legs, reaching for her, bringing her into his arms.

Kagome sighed as she noticed that his skin was deliciously warm to the touch. She put her face in the crook of his neck and breathed deeply, loving the scent that Inuyasha had. He smelled like the forest breeze, and something that resembled vanilla. Kagome weaved her fingers through his hair, reveling in the feel of his hair as it sifted through her fingers. Inuyasha just wrapped around his arms around her and nuzzled her cheek, letting her touch him. It was then that a dull violet light could be seen emanating from her and they moved back from each other, surprised. Kagome then saw the Shikon Jewel float between them, and Kagome then remembered what Inuyasha had said in the beginning.

" **you have no idea how Long I wanted to hear that from you inuyasha…" **Kagome said softly. The young man just smiled knowlingly and smiled into her neck.

"**Well Inuyasha… do you still want to be a full-youkai?"** Kagome watched as Inuyasha's eyes darted to the Jewel and then back to her tear stained face, and said folding her hands over it,

"**No Kagome… what I want I can never have…"**Kagome's heart stopped at the words that left Inuyasha mouth and her bottom lip trembled

"**But Inuyasha… if you love me then why?"** Inuyasha just gave her a small smile and said with watery eyes, his voice cracking slightly,

"**Because Kagome… you don't belong here… you have a whole other life over at your time period. It would be selfish for me to keep you here, all to myself… I know that now…"** Kagome shook her head violently, her hair covering her face as she replied,

"**But how can you tell me that it's selfish Inuyasha? When it's something we both want?"** Kagome watched her words reverberate through Inuyasha's mind through his eyes, damning logical thoughts and reasons. She wanted this, wanted him. Kagome then watched as Inuyasha came close to her, and held her face in his warm hands, making her close her eyes.

"**Kagome… even with the distance between us, my feelings for you will never fade. Till my last breath, you'll be the only one worthy of owning my heart…"** Kagome cried some more before her fingers hit the necklace that bonded him and she smiled through her tears as she closed her eyes and concentrated, the necklace shattering, leaving Inuyasha stunned. She smiled and said moving her face closer to his,

" **you don't need those anymore Inuyasha… let it be a testament to how much I trust you… how much I'll always love you…"** Inuyasha's amber eyes were smoldering as he stared into Kagome's chocolate orbs, and said before touching Kagome's lips with his,

"**Good bye Kagome Higurashi, I'll never forget you…" **

Kagome's entire being was centered on the kiss memorizing every minute detail, from the softness of his lips to the warmth of

Them, the feel of his hair on her hands, and the smell of him enveloping her, making her body turn to jelly. She then felt his lips wrench away from hers with an audible sound, and watched with teary eyes as he ran away, leaving her.

"**Inuyasha!!! INUYASHA!!!!"** Kagome said as she watched him run away into the darkness of the forest, it was right then that she noticed a stray tear on one of the beads of Inuyasha's necklace. He had cried. Kagome grabbed the solitary bead and clutched it to her chest, as if the bead was Inuyasha himself.

_**The next day…**_

**"Where is that hanyou?"** Miroku said with a slightly irritated voice as he looked around for Inuyasha as Sango hugged Kagome.

"**Are you sure everything will be okay Kagome?"** Sango said worriedly as she looked into Kagome's teary eyes. Kagome just wiped away a tear and said to Sango,

"**Yeah… the worst is over. The real question is whether you two are going to be okay?"** Kagome saw Miroku and Sango grab each other hands and look into each others eyes and Miroku said to Kagome while looking into Sango's eyes,

"**Don't worry one bit about this houshi Kagome. He has found his goddess…"** Kagome watched Sango's cheeks flush in embarrassment and look away. Sango then noticed that Inuyasha still hasn't come to say good bye, and yelled out,

"**INUYASHA!!!"** Kagome grabbed Sango's hand and said softly,

"**Don't bother calling him Sango… he's long gone…"** Sango's eyes widened and she said worriedly,

"**What do you mean?"** Kagome then made up an excuse.

"**We kind of had a heated argument… the worst one as a matter of fact. We both said some things we didn't like…"** Miroku then quickly interrupted her by saying,

"**Like how much you love each other…"** Kagome quickly looked into the monk's eyes and looked away in shame. He knew.

"**Inuyasha came to me for help on how to talk to you about his feelings… though it was mostly his doing; I just corrected his wording…"** Miroku said softly. Kagome then slowly walked towards the well and said to both of them,

"**If you see him, tell him that I'm sorry… that it couldn't work…"** they both nodded and waved good bye as they both watched Kagome jump into the well, and out of their lives…

_**Present**_

Kagome wiped her eyes as the memory faded away from her minds eye as she headed towards the bedroom, leaving the glass of water abandoned at the sofa. She stopped in front of a small dresser and opened the first drawer, taking out a small box fit for a ring. She opened it and bit her lip as she stared into the lone pearl that was from Inuyasha's necklace, and the completed Shikon no tama. She slowly touched the solitary bead, her aching heart slowly being soothed at the touch of the familiar smooth cold surface. It was then that she heard her front door open and she heard a voice ring out in the otherwise quiet house.

"**Kagome-kun I'm home? Kagome?"** Kagome quickly shut the jewelry box, putting it back in its hiding place. She walked down the stairs and was greeted with the site of her husband smiling at her, his tie loosened. Kagome smiled slightly and went to him, hugging him and kissing his lips lightly before letting go.

"**Hello Hojo-kun… how was work?"** the man rubbed his neck to rid of the achiness that resided there as he slowly walked towards Kagome, touching her cheek with his other hand. He then said to Kagome as he looked at her in the eye,

"**Kagome? Is there a problem honey?"** Kagome winced at the words, and quickly said in defense,

"**I'm just tired Hojo that's all… you know how stressful my job is…"** she then saw Hojo's shoulders slump slightly in defeat.

"**I'll see you in bed later then Kagome… good night…"** Kagome then watched as Hojo walked up he stairs, and into the bedroom. Kagome then threw herself into the seat that was next to her and threw her head into her hands. Things were so complicated now. Till this day her head still spun with the torrent of changes and events that led her to where she was now. Where she didn't want to be. She sighed and went to her small library near the coffee table in the living room, and grabbed a few medical journals. For Kagome, this was her escape. To study endlessly until her head ached and her vision blurry. That was the reason she was such a success at the hospital, she buried herself in it in order to evade her private problems. She opened a book and slowly started to read when she found that her mind couldn't focus. Kagome hissed through her teeth as she couldn't concentrate and slowly looked at the phone. She looked at the clock on the wall and weighed her options.

"**One O clock… he's up … maybe he won't mind…"** Kagome then reached for the phone and called the one person that knew of her inner turmoil.

Kagome had met him at the hospital, treating him for a dislocated arm due to a brawl with one of his sister's ex boyfriends. While she treated him, she found his voice inviting, the way he spoke inviting a conversation. Before she knew it, she had hung out with him a couple of times during her breaks in the hospital. He had said that he came from America, and moved over here in order to start over. Kagome dialed his number and waited anxiously as she heard the phone ring. She then heard a voice at the other end of the phone.

"**Moshi Moshi … Alex speaking…"** Kagome smiled as she heard his voice and said combing her hand through her hair,

"**Hey Alex it's me Kagome…"** Kagome then heard him say,

"**Oh hey Kagome… you alright? You usually sleep at this hour. Anyway what's up…?"** Kagome simply said to Alex,

"**I desperately need to vent Alex… care to be my target?"** she heard Alex laugh slightly and the clicking of a keyboard and already knew that he was talking to her while using the computer.

"**Sure although it's kind of late. How about the usual spot tomorrow? Sound good?"** Kagome sighed and said in a happier tone of voice,

"**Okay… I'll see you then Alex, good night… and thanks again…"** Kagome heard Alex snort and said before he hung up,

"**It's okay… I'd rather you take it out on me then your patients!!!" **

Kagome smiled and hung up the phone, slowly walking back to the table full of books, ready to study.

Two hours later, the books became her pillow…

Ok I REALLY need help on this one okay? This is a first Inuyasha fan fiction for me and I want this to be a good one! So please drop any kind of criticism, so long as it helps out... thanks in advance…


	2. My stupidity

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha in any shape or form. I just borrow them for a little while… honestly I don't own them**

Kagome shot up, her vision blurry and her neck flashing pain. She pushed her hair away from her eyes and groaned in slight pain and grogginess. She rubbed her eyes and slowly got up only to hear her back pop a few times.

"**Ouch…"** Kagome muttered as she clutched the back of her neck as she slowly shuffled her way to the downstairs bathroom, brushing her teeth and taking a hot shower the first things on her mind.

A few minutes later she came out in a bath robe toweling her hair only to see Hojo eyeing her. She covertly put the towel in front of her vision, drying her hair as she spoke.

"**Morning Hojo-kun. Sleep well?"** kagome then heard Hojo's voice. And it didn't sit well with her.

"**Something is wrong with you… ever since we went to your parent's house you've been acting different. Its gradual, but I know it's been there ever since we've been there." **

Kagome's hands froze, her heart locked in mid-beat as Hojo's words hit the air out of her lungs. Kagome clenched her teeth and wrenched out a calm reply.

"**Nothings wrong with me honey. I'm fine. I'm just tired. I'm always tired. You know that…"**

_**Lie…**_

Hojo stepped up to her and said as he out down his briefcase,

"**Then why don't you ask your superiors to let you take a break? This job is changing you…"** Kagome then felt something snap in her and she said with venom,

"**Don't ever say that!!!"** Kagome then realized what she said and recovered saying,

"**Listen… I know my job is tiring. Its just that all that studying, all that time and effort I put into my profession, all pays off when I see the smile on a persons face when I tell them that their relative or family member will make it. That's worth anything… even my happiness…"** Kagome heard her own words resonate in her head, hating how close her words had cut her. Kagome then watched Hojo walk towards the door, saying with a sour face,

"**But that doesn't mean you can take away mine as well…"** Kagome let the towel slowly fall onto the floor as she slowly walked towards the table, feeling hollow. She felt like shit. Right then she heard the phone ring and she went to pick it up, clearing her voice.

"**Hello? Kagome speaking…"** Kagome then heard the voice of her supervisor Mr. Hanada. He had wanted her to do two shifts today. Kagome jumped on the opportunity, happy that she had a ton of work to keep her heart and soul in the background.

"**Paging Mrs. Higurashi! Paging Mrs. Higurashi! Please report to the front desk of the infirmary!"** Kagome heard the speaker say, making her stop talking to her patient. She then smiled to the man in front of her and said to him,

"**Ok well I have to go, please remember to take this medication whenever you feel immense pain okay, other than that all you need is rest."** She then said her good byes and slowly made her way to the front desk. She smiled as she thought about why she liked to be doctor. Every time she treated a person, she always thought back to when she was in the feudal era, mystifying villagers with her "magic". Kagome thought that it was then that she wanted to become a doctor.

"**Hoi, Kagome!"** Kagome snapped out of her thoughts only to see a smiling Alex Shinoda carrying two bags in front of the reception desk. Kagome smiled for the first time this week and said walking up to him, grabbing one of the bags,

**"You're too much Alex… you even brought me lunch…"** Kagome watched Alex scratch the back of his head and say as he led her outside,

"**Don't think anything of it, it was two for one today…besides I know how wrapped up in your work you love to be…" **

Kagome sat down on one of the benches that littered the hospital grounds, Alex sitting in front of her, already drinking a soda.

"**So Kagome… what's up… anything that I can help you with?"** Kagome started to eat the take out the Alex ordered for her and said after eating a mouthful, looking at the cherry blossoms that littered the park area that were in,

"**When I try, it feels like a weight is on my chest…"** Alex stopped drinking his juice and said fixing his glasses,

"**Try what Kagome…"** Alex watched as kagome pushed a piece of her black hair away from her eye and said,

"**Try to make my marriage work…"** Alex heard the desperation and sadness in her voice and said softly,

"**Well… what's wrong with your marriage Kagome…?"** Kagome slowly picked at her food as she felt the familiar ache in her chest come back as she continued to talk.

"**I'm the problem Alex… It has taken me too long to realize that I'm married to someone for all the wrong reasons…"** Alex took a bite out of his food, still listening to Kagome speak.

"**It's been so long… these feelings that I left for dead, are coming back, and their stronger than before Alex. They're screaming at me, telling me that what I've done with my life so far is a lie…that I've lied to myself and more importantly, hurt another…" **kagome felt a bubble in her throat and Alex said slowly,

"**Kagome you don't have to tell me everything you know… some secrets or pains are better left unsaid…"** Kagome shook her head and said quickly,

"**No this has to be said, or else it'll never get better…" **

_**Flashback: five years ago…**_

Kagome was home, the familiar surroundings that usually calmed her now seemed to fuel her inner turmoil. She slowly clenched her fists as she walked through the house to her room, happy she evaded everyone and was able to go into her room unseen. She closed her door and leaned against it, slowly sliding against it till her body was seated on the floor.

"**Why Inuyasha… why did you abandon me?"** Kagome said to the darkness that claimed her room. Everyone was downstairs, enjoying themselves at the party that was set in order to celebrate the engagement of Kagome and Hojo. Kagome didn't know why she was marrying him, all she knew was that she needed something to fill the hole in her, the hole that Inuyasha caused, and was too scared to fill. Kagome's skin flushed with quiet anger and she stood up in a flash in order to look out her window to look at the bone-eaters well, her eyes marred wit hate.

"**Stupid Hanyou… I bet you went straight to kikyo after than night didn't you…"** she wiped her eyes in order to stop the blurriness that was preventing her form seeing correctly when she heard the door open to her room.

"**Go away…"** Kagome said without a moment's notice and froze when she heard a voice say to her,

"**Kagome…"** Kagome felt her soul shatter and she quickly turned around, saying one word.

"**Inuyasha…"** Kagome then was staring into the eyes of her fiancé and felt her heart gain one more crack. She quickly turned around again and said wiping her eyes, putting on a happier tone,

"**Hojo…"** Kagome felt him stand in back of her and wrapped his arms around her, making her shiver form the contact, out of disgust, or longing… she didn't know…

"**Who's Inuyasha?"** Hojo said curiously. Kagome thought about her answer carefully. Who was he? He wanted her to keep the life she had here right? It was then that she made the decision that made her heart as cold as the answer she gave to Hojo…

"**No one important Hojo-kun…no one important…"**

_**end flashback**_

**"And that's the night that I had lost my virginity along with the warmth of my heart…" **Kagome said slowly as she slowly felt her eyes sting a little as she finished her juice. Alex took her finished can of juice and threw it away. He sat back down and put a piece of gum in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

"**Wow Kagome… so you're telling me you married this Hojo guy just to get even with a man you won't even meet again?"** Kagome felt like a knife struck her chest. It felt bad, but someone telling you exactly what you did was worse. She nodded her head, unable to speak. Alex then continued.

"**No offense Kagome but that's one hell of a way to pay someone back for loving you enough to let you go…"**

"**Huh?"** Kagome said as she wiped her eyes clean. Alex continued she he combed his hair back.

"**I mean this guy loved you enough that he let you go in order to pursue you own dreams, and you marry a guy you most likely don't even love out of rage… absolutely brilliant…"** Kagome felt like her chest would cave in from the guilt that she felt and she said sullenly,

"**I'm such a stupid bitch…"** Alex shook his head and corrected her softly.

"**You're not stupid, you were just too enraged by the fact that he ran away from you to realize that he left you only so that you can pursue your future…"** Kagome then felt her Cell phone go off, and took it out of one of her deep pockets of her white hospital jacket, only to see the number for the operating wing of the hospital. She quickly got up and said wiping her eyes with her forearm,

"**listen Alex thanks for listening to me, I know I mist sound like a real mess to you, I but I greatly appreciate you listening to me…"** Alex waved his hand dismissively and then said thoughtfully,

"**Oh no need to thank me…I don't mind… on the other hand, you could get me the number to the nurse how was sitting at the front desk today…"** Kagome rolled her eyes and nodded as she walked away, a small smile on her face after seeing Alex's eyes light up after she said yes.

_**A couple of hours later**_

Kagome sighed in exhaustion, her eyes slowly getting heavy. She rubbed one of them at slowly looked at the watch on her left wrist, the time not surprising her.

"**Hojo-kun must be home by now…" **she said to no one as she sunk into the chair she was sitting in, watching the people pass by her as she rested. Kagome stood up only to find herself sitting down in a hurry.

"**I must be more tired than I think…"** Kagome said to herself but was interrupted by a voice that said,

"**This is why you're getting a forced vacation..."** Kagome raised her head only to see her supervisor Mr. Hanada, staring at her with a small smile. Kagome sat up and said quickly in her defense,

"**No no! you got it wrong I just finished an operation, so I'm a little beat…"** she yawned after saying this, and the middle aged man in front of her shook his head in disbelief.

"**You're lying Kagome… you need to forget about the hospital for a while, go somewhere and relax…"** Kagome's eyes dilated at the thought of being home at all times, of facing Hojo and her guilt. She opened her mouth to say something else but was silenced by the final words,

"No buts Kagome… your one of the best people we have around here. I've watched you work tirelessly ever since you became a resident here, and I don't want you burning yourself out before you can even become a full-fledged doctor. I'm giving you three weeks. Make the best of 'em…" and with that the middle-aged man left, leaving kagome to her thoughts once more.

Kagome put her head on the nearby arm of a chair and said to no one as she clutched the seat with one arm,

"…**Shitmatta…"**

_**after her last shift**_

Kagome didn't know how she got there, but there she was, one o clock in the morning staring at the one thing that tied her to the past she cherished, but also wanted to forget.

The bone-eaters well was exactly the way that she remembered it. She touched the smooth surface of the rim, the cool marble's temperature flowing into her fingers. She tried. She tried so hard to forget the past…

But she couldn't…

Not when the love of her life was there…

"**I'm just a stupid onna eh Inuyasha? It took me six years after our last meeting to realize what you did for me, the sacrifice you were wiling to make for my sake… six years for me to admit how much I still love you…"** it was then that kagome heard a male voice break the silence.

"**Ever since that day I saw you looking at this well, I know something inside you was hiding from me. And now it shows… how long kagome, how long have you played me like a fool!" **Hojo's voice was full of barely contained anger his eyes aflame. Kagome didn't have to answer him as she was slapped across the face, her cheek flaring with heat and pain.

"**How could you do that!!!? How could you lay there and sleep with me with someone else in your heart!!! There was supposed to be only one person there! And it's supposed to be ME!!!!" **Kagome held her abused cheek and one hand, her eyes filled with regret.

"**What happened between us Hojo was out of desperation. My heart… was broken before I married you… it still is now… and only one person could fix it…"**

Kagome watched as Hojo spat his name like it was cold venom in his mouth.

"**Inuyasha…"** kagomes eyes flared with hatred and said dangerously as she yelled out into the night,

"**Don't ever say his name!! Don't ever slander such a beautiful name with your empty voice!!!!"** kagome slowly felt a weight being lifted as she spoke the truth to Hojo. Hojo grabbed her coat and slammed her into a nearby temple gate.

"**You are such a whore Kagome… you had him in your mind the entire time we were together... when we… god kagome!"** kagome then stood her ground, ready for her final offense.

"Listen and listen well Hojo… I know what I did is completely and totally wrong… but you have no right to talk to me like I'm filth. I know I cant ask for your forgiveness, but at least know that everything that happened was regrettably done in a stupid fit of vengeance…" right then she watched Hojo come at her, rage in his eyes, and yelled at the top of his lungs,

"**YOU BITCH!!!!"** he pushed kagome with all his might, and watched as the back of her legs connected with the rim of the bone-eaters well, and fell into it, screaming.

Kagome closed her eyes, tears falling upwards as she was about to fall to her death. Only one thing whispered in her head as she waited for it.

"**Please… I know I was stupid… but please… let me see him one more time, let me be with him one more time…" **

Hojo froze with shock due to the horrible act he had committed, and heard her scream, stock still. It was then that he saw a brilliant bright purple light erupt from the mouth of the well, and then silence. Hojo ran to the well and his eyes bulged with shock at what he saw.

"**She's… she's gone…" **


	3. Welcome back

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha in any way, shape or form. Really I don't…**

Kagome opened her eyes, only to see a sea of stars above her. She closed her eyes, relieved that she was not dead, and slowly rose and turned around,, only to see something that made her heart wrench with an unknown emotion.

It was Goshinboku.

Kagome clutched her white hospital jacket to herself, trying to figure out how she was able to travel back. She stood up and slowly walked towards the large tree in a trance, and touched the place where Inuyasha was pinned, and felt a warm breeze pass by her, making the scent of him emanate from the tree, surrounding her.

"**Inuyasha…"** Kagome said slowly as the wind died, and kagome then realized where she was. She felt naked as she found herself in the feudal era, a place wrought with demons and other dangers, and she has no weapon, and she hasn't used her miko powers in years. Right then she heard footsteps coming towards her, and hid herself against the tree, praying to anyone who would listen.

"**Come houshi I think I heard something very strange right now…"** kagome heard the female voice and felt something click in her mind but her fear stopped her in her tracks as she continued to hide. Kagome heard the footsteps come closer but then stopped at the well as another voice spoke.

"**Once again my dear, you heard nothing… to be honest I don't think she'll ever be back… it's been too long… I hate to say it but Inuyasha was right the last time he came two nights ago… she'll never come back…"** Kagome bit her lip in order not to give away her position as she heard the information. He was here only two days ago.

"**I don't know about that… the way he said it… he still loves her. After six long lonely years he still loves her like she never left… I hate to sound evil but watching what happened to him has appreciated what I have with you… I'll never let what we have together go to waste… Miroku…"** Kagome's eyes opened in surprise at the name, and without thinking she spoke.

"**SANGO!!!"** the two people at the well watched as a person jump out behind the Goshinboku, and gasped as they saw who it was.

" **Kagome…"** sango said, a loss for words due to the person in front of her. Kagome had aged. She had grown a little more in height, her curves more defined, and her long black hair had grown, ending at the small of her back, and her face had matured, but still held the innocence it had when they first met her. She was wearing an odd robe with various pockets on it, and what looked like clothes from her time.

Miroku stared in disbelief at the sight before him, and said catching himself,

"**Kagome…you're back…"** he watched as unshed tears came to Kagome's eyes and she ran to him, hugging him with all her might. It was then that she cried into his shoulder, her tears staining his robe. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, and said softly to her,

"**Welcome back kagome… welcome back…"** he watched as Sango rubbed her back with one hand, jumping along with her sobs.

_**A while Later….**_

**"And that's how I ended up here… I don't know how I was able to come back after six years, but here I am…"** Kagome finished, her voice slightly strained and she reached for the tea that Miroku put down in front of her. Sango took a sip from hers and put it down before saying with slight apprehension,

"**So kagome, you got married for no reason?"** Miroku flinched inwardly and waited for the fireworks, knowing they had reached a sensitive subject. But instead of the outburst that he knew was coming, only a mournful sigh escaped kagome's lips, and bowed her head as she spoke.

"**There was a reason… it might disgust you though… I got married in order to show myself that I had closed that chapter of my life, the chapter where Inuyasha made me and broke me at the same time…"** sango and Miroku instantly understood, and waited patiently for the rest to come out.

"**There was another reason though… I wanted to hurt him, even though I knew he would never know what I did, I guess I must've done it more for myself than for him. Every time I would close my eyes, I would see him kissing her, talking to her… loving her…"** sango felt her throat constrict at the feelings that Kagome's voice was laced with. Miroku then watched as kagome let out a small laugh, although nothing was funny as she said with hate in her voice,

"**I was so blind… so stupid… to not see through the reason why he let me go… even though I wanted to stay… he ended up being wiser than me when being level headed counted the most…its funny how even though I did it to make myself feel better, I was the one who ended up more broken than him**…" sango and Miroku bowed their heads in thought.

"**Kagome has matured…"** Miroku thought to himself as he watched kagome look for the sleeping bag that she left here, and left the hut, going to sleep under the Goshinboku. Then the door slid closed, sango was the first one to talk.

"**Miroku… what should we do? She obviously is still in love with him, and at the state she is in, I think that it'll be the only thing that will ease her inner turmoil…"** Miroku nodded and said thoughtfully as he stood up, putting his staff in the corner,

"**It would probably be best if we take her to him. it'll be the only way to make sure that this would be solved, one way or another…"** sango nodded and continued, making watching as Kirara came to her and perched herself in her lap, purring in appreciation as sango pet her.

"**You know he wont be so accepting, as soon as her um, ex-husband as kagome put it, scent hits his nose, he will know… his whole life he had been lied to, cheated on, just because of what he is… if the reason why he hates everyone comes to him in the form of the woman the loves to this day, I don't think the results will be a happy ending…"** Miroku nodded, and spoke out to the hut.

"**Myoga…"** right then he heard a small voice talk out while leaving Kirara's pelt,

"**Lady kagome has aged quite beautifully over the span of years… lord Inuyasha would not know what to do with himself when he stands in front of such beauty…"** Myoga stood in front of Miroku as he spoke, looking down at him.

"**Myoga… Give a message to Inuyasha… tell him that he have something very important to discuss… it is of up most importance that he stays in lord Sesshomaru's castle until we get there… tell him that we will be there within the span of five days… thank you…"** Myoga nodded and as he left, sango added,

"**Myoga… please don't tell him about Kagome coming back… she has matters that she must sort out first…"** Myoga nodded and when he left, sango slowly turned to look at the Goshinboku through the window, and saw kagome sleeping soundly under it. Miroku then slowly went towards the bedding chambers and said as he left,

" **Well my dear Sango… I'd better get some rest. It seems that we have another journey ahead of us… we'll leave as soon as Shippou comes back. He should be back by tomorrow…"** Sango nodded and as the door slid closed, sango said while looking at the sleeping form of kagome through the window, worry in her eyes,

"**Kagome…" **

Meanwhile, in modern Tokyo….

The sun was setting at the Higurashi household, and silence reigned there until a young man's voice broke the silence of the shrine's residential house.

"**where the hell is my sister!!!"** an older souta yelled a the top of his lungs before swinging his closed fist and Hojo's face, it connecting swiftly and making hojo go across the living room of his home. Even though he was still younger than Kagome, he still protected her like he was the eldest. Hojo swung back and connected with souta's abdomen, making a rush of air leave him. souta took the opportunity to push hojo on the flor and punch him again, his rage etched in his eyes.

"**WHERE IS SHE!!! TELL ME!!!!!"** right then another voice could be heard coming from the bottom of the staircase.

"**SOUTA WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!!!!"** souta froze and looked up only to see his mother, worry etched into her face. Souta stood up and said pointing at hojo,

"**KAGOME HAS GONE MISSING!!! HE WAS THE LAST ONE TO SEE HER!!!"** souta almost swung at him again but his mothers stern voice stopped him cold.

"**SOUTA ENOUGH!!!" **Mrs. Higurashi walked up to the man married to her eldest daughter and spoke low but firmly,

"**Hojo… you have ten minutes to tell me what has happened to my daughter, or I'll let me son finish what he started… after wards I'll let the police know of your breaking and entering…"** Hojo swallowed a lump he didn't know he had in his throat and slowly told her what had happened.

Mrs. Higurashi's face paled as Hojo told his story, detail by detail. Kagome's mother had Souta fix her tea as she thought of what to do.

"**Oh dear… she went back… after all this time she went back… but how?" **She said it was sealed… she thought before returning to the task at hand and saw Hojo waiting anxiously. She then cleared her throat and said to him in a slightly upset tone,

"**Listen to me and you listen well… I now know that kagome has wronged you deeply and let you into her heart when someone was already there, but that gave you no right to hurt my daughter… I want you to go home, and we will call the police early tomorrow morning… take the time to reflect on your disgusting behavior…"** Hojo didn't even wait for her to release him as he went for the front door, his shoulders slumped in shame. When the front door closed, Souta was standing next to hi s mother with tea in hand, and said to her as he sat down next to her,

"**Are you going to? Call the police I mean…"** she took a long sip of her tea and put it down, saying as she kept her eyes closed,

"**No we are not… how would you explain that your only daughter fell into a well and is not currently in the feudal era?"** Souta's eyes lit up in understanding but then he realized something.

"**But I thought that she couldn't go back…"** Souta remembered that day very well. He had never seen his sister cry as much as she did on that day. Souta watched as his mother looked out of the window towards the sky, and sighed as she spoke.

"**Fate has smiled at Kagome once more… lets just hope that she has the strength to go through with it…" **

**Authors Note: **ok… I'll be honest and tell you that I'm not really good with the specifics with this series, but I felt like doing one, so any help would be appreciated… thanks for reading and an extra thanks for reviews.


	4. We meet again Inuyasha

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha in any way, shape or form. What I DO want to own is the complete Yu Yu Hakusho collection **

Kagome woke to the sounds of birds chirping loudly above her, and slowly opened her eyes to see the great bow of the Goshinboku above her, giving her pleasant shade from the bright morning sun.When she sat up, she saw sango and Miroku sitting together, hands meshed together, sharing an intimate kiss. She blushed slightly, and looked away, deciding on going to the river that was nearby the hut that sat next to the well. Kagome then realized something as she thought about who the hut belonged to. Kagome saw that they were done for the time being and said rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes,

"**Sango, Miroku, where's Kaede?"** kagome watched as Miroku's face fell, and an awkward silence reigned for a while. It then dawned upon kagome, and her head bowed at the loss of the priest that helped her, as well as the others as if they were family.

"**How did she die…"** kagome slowly stood up and said walking towards them, her heart aching. Sango was the first to speak, her voice uneasy.

"**Two years ago. She went to sleep one morning, and never woke up… the last thoughts that she shared with us was about you and Inuyasha. She wondered if everything was fine with you, and if Inuyasha would be ok where he was now… since then we have lived here…"** kagome lifted her head at that.

"**Where is he now?"** Miroku didn't need for her to clarify, he already knew what she meant.

"**After you left, none of us knew where he went. He just got up and left, taking Shippou with him. then two years later we heard rumors that two demons, a fox demon and the other son of lord Inutaisho, were patrolling the lands, solving problems as they went…" **kagome smiled at that. She always knew that he had a soft spot for the fox demon. Sango smiled too and continued for Miroku.

"**Then about around the third year, he came here, along with Shippou, merely to check up on us, and everything else around here. It was around then that he learned of Kaede's passing and stood here for about a week, in mourning… he then filled us in about his whereabouts, and it had turned out that he had come to terms with his brother after one fight, one that ended up in a stalemate, and Lord Sesshomaru excepted him as an equal. Inuyasha had said that Lord Sesshomaru gave him passage to his castle, letting him stay if he so wished…" **

Kagome's eyes bulged at the information. A lot had happened. Miroku then picked up where sango left off.

"**Inuyasha told us that even lord Sesshomaru felt that he should not ban his brother from the house he was born into, and if anything, helping to kill Naraku proved his worth… and that's where Inuyasha has been for a while now, helping his brother with patrolling the western lands…"** Kagome digested the information, glad at the fact that Inuyasha was safe. She combed a piece of her black hair away from her face as she asked another question.

"**So how's Shippou? Does he and Inuyasha get along now?"** sango and Miroku smiled and sango said to kagome,

"**Shippou has grown… and though he does not show it, he regards Inuyasha as his father, though their arguments say otherwise… he also has acquired a taste for art, and he is very talented. He drew a picture of me without my knowlegde and I felt embarrassed due to how beautiful he made me look**…" Miroku shook his head and grabbed her hand, saying softly to sango with true sincerity,

"**No he saw you then the way I always see you now..."** sango blushed heavily, still not used to the houshi's attentions. Kagome dug her toe into the ground and looked down, felling like she was prying into a private moment.

" **sango do you have any clothes I could borrow, I am going to take a bath, also, do you have any of shippou's drawings, I would like to see them…"** something clicked and sango smiled and said happily to kagome, walking towards the hut, kagome walking behind her.

"**well kagome, its not much, but its all I have at short notice…"** kagome looked at the simple navy kimono, with ocean waves depicted on them. It was simple yet very nice. Kagome shook her head and said to sango,

"**no sango its beautiful ..I love it thank you…" **kagome watched as she dug around her closet and came out with a large leather bound sketching book, the edges slightly wasted and torn. Sango giggled and said sitting next to Kagome,

"**shippou left this with us, just in case we forgot his and Inuyasha's face…"** kagome smiled, and slowly opened the book, only to see a colored sketch of the girl known as Rin, now in her early to mid teens, sitting in a flower field, the orange color surrounding her body signaled he might have done it at sunset, a white lily purposefully placed in her hair. She had a pleased smile as she looked at kagome. Kagome gasped, amazed at the skill Shippou had, the drawing practically leapt out of the page.

"**He usually hides somewhere and does his sketches in secret, saying that its best to draw your subject when they are in their natural state… at least he's not like a certain houshi I know…"** Kagome looked up and saw a familiar shadow splayed against the thin door and a sigh followed by the person saying sullenly,

" **I am so misunderstood…"** Kagome and sango laughed, and Kagome cherished it more than ever. It had been a while since she had laughed so heartily. She then turned the page to see Kouga and Ayame, and what looked like a wedding ceremony, she had flowers in her hair and wore a white fur, as well as Kouga, Kagome noticed how they were looking into each others eyes, and once again was moved at the attention to detail. Kagome giggled as Shippou even added that nice old wolf into the picture sitting up, baring witness to their union. when Kagome noticed Ginta and Hakku she almost burst out laughing as both of them had tears coming down their face.

Kagome then realized something.

"**Sango how does he draw? I mean you say they don't pose for him, but why is it that all of his drawings look that way?"** sango then said thoughtfully, a finger pursed on her chin,

"**well I asked Shippou the same question, and he told me that he had a very good memory, that all he had to do was really look at something and close his eyes and it would be there in his head…"** kagome nodded. It would seem that Shippou was blessed with photographic memory. Kagome then turned to see the rest of the pictures that in the book, some of them various landscapes, and laughed when she had gotten to a picture of Lord Sesshomaru's ward, Jaken, sleeping, and one of Lord Sesshomaru himself, with a flower wreath on the crown of his head, sitting with his back against a tree and Rin smiling at him, her cheeks painted with a slight blush. Kagome then turned the page and her eyes grew, and her breath unsteady. This was, without a doubt, the proof that Shippou had never forgot about her.

It was a picture of her.

Kagome stared at the picture, unable to grasp the level of love and detail he had put into the drawing. Her long black ended at the middle of her back, in loose waves. She was wearing a snow white robe, with pink embroidery depicting cherry blossoms on the left sleeve and on the right side of the stomach all the way to her heart stood a cherry blossom tree. Kagome stared into the picture, unable to believe that he could draw her with such devotion. She was standing in a shrine, with a young version of Shippou holding her hand happily. Kagome couldn't hold it anymore as a tear slid down her face and stained the heavy drawing paper a darker shade.

"**It took him a long time to finish that one… he said that it would not do justice to just draw it. He took his time, putting his love for you in every stroke. He wanted it to show why he considers you his mother, and it shows…"** sango finished, touching Kagome's shoulder. Kagome nodded and wished right then that she could hug the person she considered her son. As she was about to turn the page, a certain chilling feeling overcame her. Some unknown force was telling her something. She quickly shook her head and turned the page, and a gasp left her as she stared into the eyes of molten gold that slightly hid behind a curtain of silver hair. She would sell her soul to protect those eyes. Eyes that could see right through her and awaken things that she now thought were long dead. Her heart beat erratically at the picture before her.

Hyne he was beautiful…

Inuyasha had aged. Gone was his face which had a youthful roundness, only to be replaced with a powerful, yet beautiful face. Kagome gasped as she stared at the lips that had generated things in her that made her lower abdomen ache. Kagome felt the heavy blush that dominated her cheeks as she stared at the one red stripe that accentuated his left cheek, the design different from inuyasha's elder brother, as it looked like it was torn into his cheek, not painted on. She licked her lips as she moved her gaze down his powerful neck, and stopped at his muscular but tone chest, which was unclothed, kagome srinking in at the sight of his tan flesh being hit only by the light of the torch that was near him, night just outside the doorway. Kagome noticed he had one stripe on each bicep as well. Inuyasha was sitting, his back against a wooden beam. Gone was Inuyasha's usual fire rat pants, replaced with an identical, but black pair of pants. Inuyasha's long silver hair seemed longer as it flowed down his back, only slightly touching the floor. He had one arm propped up on one knee, his foot flat on the ground, his large clawed hand making kagome feel a surge of goose bumps at those hands which were lethal to others, but were loving to her. The ears that she fell in love with stood proudly on his head, unashamed, as he stared directly at kagome, a sleepy, but longing look in his half opened amber colored eyes, his head cocked to one side slightly. Kagome couldn't breathe. Inuyasha was absolutely breath taking. She tried to find her voice, but found that she couldn't as she let a tear slide own her face, her heart screaming for him, for her to make things right again. It was like she fell in love with him all over again.

" **He still loves you you know…"** sango said lightly. Kagome shook her head as she stared at the picture, committing every single thing to her memory, and praying to god it would stay.

" **I don't deserve him Sango…"** Kagome said with a light sob before she closed the book as sango continued.

" **Kagome…you have to go see him… you have to let him know that he still owns your heart, and you his…"** kagome nodded and rubbed her cold hands together, trying to bring warmth into them, but wishing that someone else would do it for her. Sango then said taking the book away from her slowly,

"**Come Kagome… lets go take that bath…"**

_** A while later   
**_

As Kagome and sango were coming back, they heard Miroku talking with someone. Sango stopped and slowly went towards the door, anxious to overhear the conversation. Kagome didn't say anything, just ducked underneath the window sill with her and muttered one word to sango.

"**Sneaky…"**Sango's face blushed, knowing what she did now might have changed what Kagome thought of her, but then thought against it. Kagome had known much worse things about her, yet she did nothing. It was then that Sango decided to explain herself.

"**It has been going around that some of the women in the village nearby have set their eyes on houshi-sama, and even though I still love him, to my great embarrassment, after six years I have my doubts…"** Kagome nodded, instantly understanding what she meant. Old habits die hard. Sango was expecting him to break his vow to her, even though her heart screamed for him not to. Kagome then heard Miroku speak.

"**Ok Megumi, here are the medicines you need along with some incense to help your father breath better. I sincerely hope he gets better, I do enjoy talking with him…"** sango nodded at that. It was true that when he usually wasn't in the hut, he was in the village, talking with Mr. Ukiya, Megumi's father. Sango heard the woman then say to him with a lowered tone of voice, hinting at mischief,

"**Arigatou Houshi…if there's anything I could do for you, please let me know…"** sango visibly shook with rage at the tone of the woman's voice.

"**How dare she!!! The village knows of me and Miroku but she dare makes a move?"** sango said more to herself than to kagome but Kagome heard everything and said to sango, grabbing her shoulder, **"Give him a chance sango, we'll see what happens…"** sango saw the look in Kagome's eyes before she reluctantly conceded, listening out for Miroku's voice.

"**Just make sure that your father gets well that is enough payment for me…"** both Kagome and sango then heard them both stand and walk towards the front door, it sliding easily as she left, leaving Miroku to his thoughts as he slid the door closed again.

"**Well… that wasn't so bad was it?"** kagome said to a flabbergasted sango, who couldn't find her voice at the moment. Meanwhile Miroku looked casually to the window on his left side and said softly more to himself then anyone else,

"**Dear dear sango… still do not trust me do you? I cannot blame you, for my blunders have almost destroyed our relationship, but tonight, I'll show you… I'll show you who I really belong to…"** a dark chuckle left his throat, making sango stand like she was hit with a bucket of ice cold water.

"**I know what the laugh is for…"** she said to Kagome, and when kagome saw the flushed cheeks of her best friend, she could imagine what that laugh meant as well. Right then they heard a light tinkling of a bell. It was slow, following an unknown rhythm, and pleasing to the ears. It continued to get closer to the hut, and sango smiled as she instantly recognized the bell.

"**He's back…"** she said simply and Kagome then heard the bell stop a few feet away from her. Kagome then heard a bag fall to the floor, and a soft male voice said to her,

"**K…Ka… Kagome…"** Kagome slowly turned her head and when she saw the orange hiar she already knew who it was.

It was Shippou…


	5. rewinding the clock

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or its characters in any way… I just use them temporarily and then put them back, hoping no one will notice…

Kagome couldn't believe her eyes, blinking a couple of times just to make sure that what she was seeing was not an illusion. She watched as Shippo smiled lightly and said bowing slightly,

"**Welcome back Kagome…" **Kagome watched as Shippo came closer, allowing her to see him. the first thing that she had noticed was that apparently demons had very strong growth spurts, due to the fact that she was gone only six years and shippo was already as tall as Inuyasha when she first met him. Shippo had cut his hair short, getting rid of the ponytail, but leaving the hair near his eyes alone. He was wearing a dark blue haori with the embroidery of a large fox sleeping, and a matching color fundoshi. Kagome watched as he cocked his head to one side with a smile on his face, and the tinkling sound could be heard once more. It was then that kagome noticed the small golden earring that was pierced into his left ear, a small bell connected to it, the pointed tips of his ears more prominent due to the majority of his hair now gone. Kagome found that she couldn't move for a second, and Shippo's brow creased lightly in worry.

"**What's the matter Kagome? Don't like the…"** Shippo didn't get to finish the sentence as Kagome slammed into him, hugging him tightly. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, hugging back. When kagome slowly let go, shippo then said to her as he looked into her eyes,

"**You look a little different Kagome… but it looks good…" **Kagome smiled as Sango and Miroku stepped up to Shippo and said their greetings.

"**Welcome back Shippo, is everything well with you and Inuyasha?" **Shippo nodded and said walking with them to the hut with laughter in his voice,

"**As well as can be expected… Inuyasha has finally stopped growing, much to the relief of Lord Sesshomaru's seamstress… she threatened that if she had to re-tailor Inuyasha's clothes again, she would smack him so hard that his father would feel it in the afterlife!" **

Sango laughed at that and said to Shippo, sitting down on the porch,

"**Well, from what you have told us, Inuyasha has become the mirror image of his father, Lord Inutaisho…" **shippo nodded and said wile looking at Miroku as he sat next to sango,

"**Father looks so much like the late lord that it is truly a sight to behold… ever since we have lived with Lord Sesshomaru, a lot of the older servants take second looks!" **

Sango, Miroku, and kagome all smiled at the first word that slipped out of Shippo's mouth, and Kagome was the first to pick up on it.

"**Since when have you called Inuyasha Father?" **Kagome said happily, loving the slight blush that colored Shippo's cheeks at the term. Shippo looked at the floor, trying to find an answer.

"**well… ever since you left Kagome, Inuyasha changed. He was mean for a while, and I kept wondering to myself why he would take me with him instead of leaving me with Miroku and sango. But then after a while he slowly let down his guard, and started talking to me. Sometimes Inuyasha can be so guarded sometimes, it's hard to talk to him. but after a while Inuyasha stopped hitting me when I got on his nerves, or if I asked something, he would try his best to answer it, he taught me how to fend for myself in case we ever got separated, Things like that. It was his way of showing that he cared…" **

Sango and Miroku looked at kagome, a sad look in her eyes as she heard what Shippo had to say. They then slowly got up, having already heard the story, but knowing that shippo would tell Kagome extra, they started on the evening meal.

Shippo then continued, noticing the forlorn look in Kagome's eyes, wanting him to tell more.

"**As the years past, we got so comfortable with each other that we started laughing at things, talking about the things that the old Inuyasha would never mutter, even to himself. Inuyasha taught me to defend myself to the best of his ability, with patience and dedication. There were times that I thought that he was rough on me but he would just smile at me and say with an outstretched hand to help me up,**

"**Don't complain kit, and learn…" **

Kagome couldn't believe that she was not around a smiling Inuyasha, and could imagine what a smile from him could do to her heart. Shippo smiled inwardly at the smile that graced Kagome's face and continued.

"**But even with the time that has passed, old habits die hard. Inuyasha is still very wary of people, but instead of causing a confrontation, he usually tries to avoid them all together… you can see it in his eyes kagome. There's a pain there that he never speaks of, even with me. It was then that one night I found him clawing away at a tree, venting his frustration while screaming; why did he let you go… you could practically hear his heart break apart…" **

Kagome felt a large bubble in her throat and found that she couldn't swallow, her eyes burning with unshed tears. It was now more than ever that she felt her shame for her stupid mistake encompass her, choking her.

"**Inuyasha saw me and attacked me, his eyes colored red, and I let him. There was no use to fighting him when he was combating something he couldn't touch. Inuyasha came to his senses and brought me to a healer afterwards, and while I recovered form the wounds, he felt that he should tell me why he was like that. He said that it was the least he could do after he attacked me…" **shippo finished, sitting next to kagome, watching her have trouble breathing slightly. He put a hand on her back and rubbed soothingly, and continued talking.

"**He only said your name at first… when the healer left the room he told me of his inner pain. Inuyasha told me of the last night he saw you, how hard it was for him to say goodbye, how he sometimes still smells your scent, only for it to be nothing… sometimes his desires get the best of him and he looks for a companion, but never going through with it, saying that if it wasn't you than he'll never do it. One night Inuyasha's youkai nature rose to the surface and I woke up only to hear him screaming out your name in anguish…" **

Kagome couldn't hold it in anymore, and cried quietly into Shippo's shoulder, her sobs racking her body.

"_**I have some nerve… Inuyasha hasn't even touched another woman, and I go and get married to someone I don't love to get even with him…"**_Kagome thought to herself bitterly as she felt Shippo rub her back to calm her.

"**Ever since that night three years ago, you would get a hollow feeling when you looked into Inuyasha's eyes. He would talk to me and joke with me, but through everything, you would still see it, no matter how hard he tried to hide it…" **Shippo sighed as he felt Kagome stop crying and looked into his face. Shippo smiled sadly and spoke to kagome once more.

"**Kagome…mother… Father is still deeply in love with you… even though he feels like he does not deserve you…"**it was with that statement that Kagome felt like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water at her, the guilt crushing her.

"_**I think it's the other way around shippo…" **_ Kagome thought to herself as she wiped her eyes.

AN: all right! Like it so far? If you do I'm glad! The next chapter will be completely from Inuyasha's point of view!!! and please leave a review!!! It would help me with continuing this!!!


	6. Feelings that linger

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha in any way, shape or form, though I would like to live in such a time. Also be warned, this chapter is a little… um… lemony… 

_Darkness…_

That is what enveloped his senses when Inuyasha opened his eyes and almost forgot to breathe, as he gazed at the only woman he let into his heart, sitting regally on a smooth rock near a koi pond in the part of the castle that he now shared with his brother. Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was seeing, Kagome was gone for six years, never to return, but there she was, her scent as strong and as alluring as the first day they had met, a scent that teased his already wounded heart. Inuyasha tried to clear his mouth which had suddenly went dry at the sight, making his fingers twitch involuntarily. To this day, Inuyasha had never seen such beauty.

The early morning light hit her just right, giving her an ethereal glow that she knew she could produce all on her own, but appreciated the gold hue that bathed her pale skin, making the dark brown of her eyes stand out. Kagome had on a white sleeping yukata, her long, thick, illustrious black hair tossed over one shoulder in front of her, and Inuyasha's knees had almost buckled at the thought of running his hands though it. Kagome's full lips were in a content smile as she had one hand outstretched, feeding the koi that were in the pond in front of her. Inuyasha bit his lips as he saw the swell of her breasts through the opening in her yukata and it was then that he knew, that forever more, Kagome Higurashi would always be…

_My weakness..._

Inuyasha then froze when he saw Kagome look at him, a loving look in her eyes that made Inuyasha's chest constrict slightly and his eyes sting.

"**Good morning Inuyasha-kun…"** Kagome's voice laced around his ears and made him close his fist to the point of drawing blood. Kagome rose to her feet and smiled at Inuyasha, making his heart flutter uncontrollably, making him respond without thought.  
"**Kagome…"** Inuyasha voiced, his voice strained with longing. Inuyasha held back the whimper of longing that tried to scratch its way out of his throat when he saw her walk towards him. Every bit of him was screaming out to the woman that had owned his heart since the day they had met. Ever since the day that he let Kagome go back to her time to complete her education, his heart was torn in two, one side rejoicing with the thought of her living her life the way she wanted it, the other scorning the fact that he let her go. Inuyasha's eyes were getting glossy with unshed tears, and when she was an arm's length away from him, she spoke once more, concern etched on her face.

"**Inuyasha…what's wrong?"** Inuyasha gave her an automated response, a response that she never deserved.

"**Nothing's wrong bitch…"** Inuyasha watched Kagome's brow grow in slight anger but then he felt her hand touch the side of his face lovingly, her thumb caressing his cheek. She then let go of her slight anger and gave Inuyasha a beautiful smile as she said to him,

"**koishi… please… I think we're past that now… tell me what's wrong…"** it was right then that Inuyasha felt those loving words penetrate the final wall around his heart, and he let a single tear fall from his eye as he said with a cracked voice,

"**Kagome… I love you… so much… please… tell me you're real…"** Kagome did nothing but smile and said still holding his cheek and nuzzling the opposite with her own, speaking softly,

"**Inuyasha… I'm very real koishi… if I wasn't… could I do this…"** Kagome then gently pushed Inuyasha into the wall behind him, and tenderly started kissing his neck, making his knees weak at the heat of her lips. Kagome slowly withdrew from Inuyasha's neck and said looking into his amber eyes,

"**Or this…"** Kagome then dove in for a kiss, making Inuyasha breathe though his nose sharply at the sudden feeling of her lips against his. Inuyasha couldn't help himself and moaned while he found his hands moving towards her hips as he kissed her, the gasp coming from kagome when he deepened the kiss making his knees buckle. Inuyasha's mind reeled at the taste of her lips, and when his hands slowly fondled her breasts, Kagome broke the kiss with a lust filled gasp.

"**Inu… Inuyasha please… touch me…"** Inuyasha slowly laid her down on the soft grass beneath them and suckled on the pulse within Kagome's neck, a loving sigh leaving her lips as she used one hand to pet Inuyasha's ear while the other combed his silver hair. Inuyasha on the other hand, was not paying attention to Kagome's ministrations.

"**Kami she tastes so good…"** Inuyasha said, lust dripping from his voice as he slowly tasted the skin between her breasts, and when he brushed Kagome's sleeping yukata away from her body, he felt his cock jump at the sight before him. Inuyasha moved back and admired her in her lust-filled state.

Kagome's black hair was strewn about her head like a halo, her dark brown eyes taking on a glossy sheen. She cheeks were rose-tinted and her lips swollen and slightly open in an effort to receive air. Her chest moved erratically as she tried to take in air, but it only fueled Inuyasha more, the sight making him groan. Inuyasha then moved his eyes over her flat stomach, and when his eyes hit the trimmed patch of curls he had hit his limit and dove at Kagome, kissing her with new fervor. As Inuyasha was occupied with Kagome's lips, he did not notice her swiftly flip him on his back, and say hotly into one of the ears on his head before nipping it lightly,

"**No… this time, it's your turn love…"** Inuyasha groaned louder than he wanted to at the possessiveness of her voice and put his hands down on the grass, his claws already making marks on the soil as Kagome kissed her way down his chest, her long hair tickling his sides. When inuyasha felt Kagome slotly untie his pants his hands fisted into the soil, knowing what would be next, and wondering if he could handle it. When the warm wind hit his now naked waist, Inuyasha spoke.

"**Kagome… you don't have to… do this… UGH!"** Inuyasha froze completely as he felt Kagome's hand wrap deliciously around his erection, making him let out a shaky breath that he had been holding fore a time he did not know. Kagome gave Inuyasha a devious little smile before saying to him,

"**I love the fact that this is the only way to make you shut up, and only I can do it…"** Inuyasha could believe that the kagome that everyone knew and the Kagome that he was seeing know were the same person. He wasn't complaining, but to him, it felt kind of nice to let someone else take charge for a while, though he'll never admit it.  
When Inuyasha felt Kagome straddle his lap, he shivered, and it wasn't due to the weather. They both moaned heartily and the sensations wracking both their bodies and when Kagome guided Inuyasha into her, and sat down swiftly, it had sounded like a vacuum was in between them. Kagome had to brace her self on Inuyasha's chest with her arms, her arms shaking.

"**You… ah! F…feel… so… good! Inuyasha!.."** Inuyasha that found that he could not speak, not when the most wonderful feelings he had ever felt were surging through his body. They had both slowly started a rhythm and when they did, moans and grunts were the only thing that was said, their love for one another only spoken though touch. It was when Inuyasha started to feel familiar pressure in his groin that decided to hurry and push Kagome to the brink before himself, and quickly flipped Kagome on her back, and thrust three more times, and felt the sensation of Kagome's inner walls hugging him for all he was worth, trying to take him deeper into her as she bit his shoulder to stop her screaming. It was right then that Inuyasha felt the coming of his own release coming right after her.

"**Kagome!!!"** Inuyasha sat up quickly, out of breath and sweaty, his bed sheets pooling around his waist due to the swift motion, and he put his face into one of his hands, his silver hair covering his face from the world.

"**Another dream…"** Inuyasha said with sadness and sighed, clenching his teeth as he pushed his long silver hair away from his face, before getting out of his bed, the early morning sun making his skin look golden. Inuyasha tried to calm his breathing, but found that he could not.  
"**I can still taste her… feel her on me…"** Inuyasha said to no one as he stood out on the balcony, staring into the forest that outlined the family castle which now belonged to lord Sesshomaru. Inuyasha quickly banished the thought of his dream, knowing that it would only bring him pain, and slowly went for his black fundoshi. When he started tying it, there was a knock on the door.

"**Yeah who is it?"** Inuyasha said sounding more annoyed than he wanted to and cursed lightly. As far as he was concerned, he was still was a guest here and he did not want to anger anyone due to his rudeness. The door to his room slid open slightly and he heard a cracking voice that was all to familiar.

"**Good morning lord Inuyasha… Lord Sesshomaru would like to know if you would like to go ahead with your daily sparring session later today?"** Inuyasha smiled and putting on his hakama,

"**Sure Jaken. tell Lord Sesshomaru that I would be honored…"** when the door slid closed once more and silence reigned over Inuyasha's room, he stood out on the balcony once more and let his thoughts run him for a moment before he went out to the day.

"**Kagome…"** Inuyasha muttered to himself before grabbing Tetsaiga and leaving the room, the scent of breakfast making him move quicker.

**Authors Note:** well here it is… sorry about taking too long, I hope I didn't make any of you guys mad… I'll kae it up to you though, so hang on, things will start to pick up from here!!!


	7. Dreams and Reality

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha in any way, shape or form. I only use them for recreational purposes.

"**This Sesshomaru notices that Inuyasha's attentions are divided this morning..."** Sesshomaru said with a small smile at the corner of his lips at the sight of his half-brother lying on the ground, out of breath and suffering from wounded pride. Inuyasha sat up and said between breaths,

"**Perceptive as usual Sesshomaru… you are right, my thoughts are…scattered…"** Inuyasha stood up and took a defensive as he slowly waited for his brother's advance, then the door to the dojo opened only to see a teenage girl with black hair stand at the door, bowing respectfully.

"**Ohayo Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Inuyasha…"** Inuyasha sucked his teeth at the honorific and said to the girl with mock anger,

"**Rin… what did I say about the title…"** the girl known as Rin blushed slightly in embarrassment and said smiling and said while smiling at Inuyasha,

"**Gomen… Ohayo… Inuyasha…"** Inuyasha smiled and said to Rin as she slowly stepped into the dojo,

"**Much better… what brings you to his stuffy old place Rin?"** Rin stood in between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru and said while looking at Sesshomaru,

"**Rin was bored at the fields due to the fact that Shippou has gone to see Miroku and Sango, so I wanted to spend my morning with my lord and his brother… If my lord allows it…"** Inuyasha watched as the young woman looked at his brother for the answer to her question and laughed as the all too familiar scent hit his nose, unnoticeable to humans. Lord Sesshomaru looked towards Inuyasha and narrowed his eyes at him, before lightening his gaze and saying to Rin,

"**This Sesshomaru will allow it…"** Rin gave Lord Sesshomaru a beaming smile and took a seat near the sidelines, hands folded in her lap.

"**Wrapped around her little finger, eh Sesshomaru?"** Inuyasha muttered low enough for only Sesshomaru to hear and was answered with a sword strike that sent sparks flying. Inuyasha's sword was vibrating due to the force of his brother's blow and didn't have time to worry about it when Sesshomaru swung again, making Inuyasha block once more, and the sound of metal clashing with metal ringing throughout the otherwise silent dojo.

Rin watched with absolute attention as she watched the two spar. Inuyasha blocked one more time before dodging to the left and swung his sword vertically at his brother, Sesshomaru's reaction to the attack being that he stepped back and rushed in when the danger had passed, their swords mashing together. Grinding could be heard as both brothers met at the middle of the floor, face to face.

Inuyasha, who was out of breath, smiled at his brother, who at first glance had seemed collected, but from the puffs of breathe that hit his face, knew better.

"**Ho? What is this, Lord Sesshomaru, out of breath? Don't tell me that the great lord of the western lands has grown soft over the time of peace…"** Rin gasped at the open insults of her lord and without thinking about her actions she stood up and said hotly,

"**You will apologize to Lord Sesshomaru!!!"** Inuyasha smiled at the girl and said while breaking away from his brother, his chest heaving for air,

"**Only when he wins this spar…"** Inuyasha watched a glint light Sesshomaru's eyes at the challenge and knew that his older half brother will not hold back. It was then that Inuyasha decided to try something he was working on in secret for a time. Sesshomaru on the other hand, watched as his half brother picked up the scabbard for his sword and held it in the hand that his sword was not occupying. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow in question to this but shook it off, knowing that besting his arrogant brother has his top priority. Inuyasha attacked first, swinging his sword twice at Sesshomaru expertly, and he had acknowledged the fact that his brother was indeed skilled, the swings showed no wasted movement, and were fluid, a contrast to his barbaric style of the past. When both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's blades met once again in a struggle, Inuyasha lifted the scabbard in his other hand and swung downwards, aiming for Sesshomaru's shoulder. Sesshomaru quickly turned his blade horizontally against Inuyasha's, the result being that Inuyasha's scabbard hit the sword also. Sesshomaru grit his teeth at his brother, who was wearing on his nerves.

"**Damn the rules… this Sesshomaru must show this impudent hanyou who is in charge…"** with that a surge of energy erupted from him and he quickly jumped back and dashed back at Inuyasha with inhuman speed, swinging his sword at the same time. Inuyasha, who was caught off guard, had no other option than to block it and flew back as the sword, neither the scabbard could withstand the force of Sesshomaru's blow and broke, the force of impact making Inuyasha slam into the wall behind him a few feet behind him. When the dust settled, Sesshomaru was slightly out of breath, and his sword was cracked. Rin smiled and enjoyed Sesshomaru's victory, but then wondered what had happened to Inuyasha. She looked to the entrance to the dojo and saw Inuyasha, sitting against the floor, a little blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. Rin got up quickly and said helping Inuyasha up,

"**Are you alright Inuyasha?"** Rin said as she steadied him before going to Lord Sesshomaru's side, a worried look etched on her face. Inuyasha waved dismissively and said with a small smile,

"**It seems that my idle talk has aroused the wrong emotion…I apologize Lord Sesshomaru…"** Inuyasha bowed in respect and winced at the pain that he found in his wrist. Sesshomaru noticed it and said walking towards the exit,

"**It will heal in due time… I would expect you to be in the family garden in the afternoon as usual half-breed?"** Inuyasha smiled and said shaking his head slowly,

"**Sure brother…I'll be there…"** Sesshomaru then looked at Rin and said leaving,

"**Come Rin, it is almost time for your teachings…"** Rin jumped slightly and walked briskly towards the door, saying quickly,

"**Coming Lord!!!"** When Inuyasha found himself alone again, he closed his eyes and breathed in deep, exhaling before walking towards the door, the bathhouse being his destination.

Inuyasha stood among the wild flowers of the field that Rin loved, having finished his bath, and enjoying the cool wind that carried the various scents of the flowers. He sighed softly as he stared into the distance, the atmosphere making him calmer than usual.

"Rin was right… this place is magic" Inuyasha thought wistfully with a smile as he situated himself in between two exposed roots of an ancient tree that crowned the top of the field, his back against the tree. Inuyasha always found himself daydreaming here. He closed his eyes and let the thought he loved most come to him.

_**Inuyasha's Dream**_

He was standing in this very meadow, the warm sun high above him, and he watched as he saw three children running around the field, their giggles and laughs soothing his heart. The two that were playing were twins, one a boy and the other a girl, their silver hair a stark contrast to everything around them. The boy had had Inuyasha's amber colored eyes, while the girl had his violet colored eyes of his human side. They both looked at him and smiled, before going back to running after each other. Inuyasha then felt a light tug at his hakama and he looked down, only to have his heart slammed into his throat as he gazed into beautiful light brown eyes, framed with hair that was a dark as night. The little girl raised her arms and opened her hands repeatedly while saying once,

**"Daddy…"** Inuyasha picked her up hesitantly and hugged her to him lightly, finding it hard to swallow the lump in his throat as his daughters scent hit his nose. She smelled just like her… just like Kagome…

At the mere thought of her name, Inuyasha felt someone put their arms around him and his daughter, their chin hitched up over the shoulder that wasn't occupied with his daughters head. Inuyasha stood stock still, afraid to break the illusion around him, and breathed deeply, only to have Kagome's alluring scent hit his nose and voice ringing low in his ear.

"**I could never tire of this Inuyasha… never…"** Inuyasha had found his voice and said with emotion ruling his voice,

"**Kagome…"** Inuyasha felt her lips caress the pulse in his neck and heard her say softly in order not to wake the sleeping child in his arms,

"**Say my name just like that always Inuyasha…I wish only you could say it… I wouldn't want anyone else to… they wouldn't say with as much love as you do…"** it was then that Inuyasha heard his twins say at the same time, their different voices in perfect harmony,

"**Uncle Sesshomaru!!!!"** Inuyasha then looked up only to see a grown up Rin, her long hair going past her waist, with an infant in her arms, a light tuft of hair on its head, the color a combination of silver and black, and Sesshomaru right behind her, a light smile on his face as he greeted the children.

"**Hello Hayami, Hanami… have you been keeping out of trouble for you uncle?"** it was then that the boy, Hanami, spoke first.

"**We wanted to play with Jaken, but he got mad and shooed us for waking him up, so we hid his staff…"** Inuyasha smiled at that and smiled wider when he actually heard Sesshomaru laugh, the open honesty of the boy a glimpse of his future traits. It was then that the girl, Hayami, spoke.

"**But we left sir Jaken some clues, so if he's smart, he will find it…"** they had followed Sesshomaru to the tree that was a few steps away from Kagome and Inuyasha, and Rin smiled as she looked at the child in Inuyasha's arms, and said shyly,

"**I don't mean to be rude Inuyasha, but I keep forgetting that she's here… she's so quiet…"** Inuyasha just nodded his head and nuzzled his cheek into the sleeping girls head and said slowly, the atmosphere making him relaxed,

"**Don't worry about it… I kind of like it that way, that way she's all mine…"** it was then that he felt Kagome's smile on his skin and she watched as Inuyasha's brother nodded at him and Kagome said to them both while withdrawing from Inuyasha,

"**So tell me, how's it feel to be parents…"** Sesshomaru was the first so answer by wrapping his arms carefully around Rin's midsection and said softly,

"**The description for it eludes me Kagome… it's beyond words…"** Inuyasha found himself saying quickly,

"**Finally… something we can agree on…"** Rin was the first to laugh, along with kagome, and everyone ended up laughing.

Inuyasha watched as Rin and Kagome sat down together in the meadow, Hayami and Hanami running around them, the dark haired girl sitting on Kagome's lap, looking at Rin's infant son curiously.

"**Suki looks so much like her mother…"** Inuyasha broke his gaze only to see his brother right next to him, looking at the same thing as him. Inuyasha sighed and said while looking at the smile that lit Kagome's face,

"**Who knew that demons could find heaven…"** Sesshomaru nodded and said looking at his beaming wife, her smile moving mountains in him,

"**If one day she asked for the world on fire, I'd give it to her in a heartbeat…"** Inuyasha sensed the emotion from his brother and decided not to badger him about it, knowing that it was still a sensitive subject with him, and said to him while looking at the women's direction again,

"**I'll never let anything harm this… harm our heaven…"** Inuyasha saw his brother nod his head in agreement. It was then that he saw Kagome stand and call his name, the voice steadily changing to someone else voice, and everything slipped away…

_**End**_

"**Inuyasha… it is almost time for you meeting with Lord Sesshomaru…"** Inuyasha slowly woke up only to see a smiling Rin bending over his prone form, her hands on her knees, her back length black hair cradling his face. Inuyasha smiled sadly, having been roused from slumber and decided that he keep his engagement to Sesshomaru.

"**Hai hai… tell him I'll be there…"** Inuyasha watched as Rin walked back, in order to give Inuyasha's reply to Lord Sesshomaru. Inuyasha smiled at her back, and thought to himself as he ran with inhuman speed towards the meeting place,

"**Rin and Sesshomaru do look good together… too bad that stick is too far up my brother's ass to see they way she looks at him…" **

**Authors Note: well here it is another chapter!! I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am!!! Please!! Don't be shy and leave a review! I admit that it does help me with this and it would be greatly appreciated!!! Till next chapter!!!**


	8. different interests, same destination

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Inuyasha Universe, although a few characters do belong to me… oh and also, I'm sorry for taking too long with the chapters… I really want to be able to get this right… and one more thing… thank you so much for your support and guidance everyone!!!**

Inuyasha slowly slid open the door to the conference room, only to see Sesshomaru sitting at a desk while sipping a cup of tea slowly. When he put the cup down, Sesshomaru spoke.

"**Sit Inuyasha… there are things that we need to discuss…"** Inuyasha nodded and went to sit a few feet away from him, putting Tetsaiga down on the floor next to him. Sesshomaru saw that Inuyasha had brought the sword with him and decided to humor him.

"**I ensure you that this Sesshomaru will not need a blade to get his point across…"** Inuyasha saw where Sesshomaru's line of sight was heading and decided to answer the unasked question honestly.

" **A lot of things has happened to me… to be honest, I feel a bit more at ease when I always have a weapon on hand… don't be offended..."** Sesshomaru nodded and let the subject go. He then rolled up the scroll that was in front of him and gave it to Inuyasha to look at. When Inuyasha picked it up and started to read it, Sesshomaru spoke.

"**This Sesshomaru has been keeping tabs on the grounds where Naraku died six years ago… so far nothing has happened that would arouse my concern but two days ago this scroll came…"** Inuyasha was reading it and when his eyes grew wide in shock, he spoke softly…

"**It can't be…I saw him die…"** Sesshomaru noticed this and continued talking.

"**two days ago at one of the villages that lives on the border to my lands, a dark cloud seemed to rise out from the ground, whispers of your name said in hate sailing through the night… though this Sesshomaru thinks it highly unlikely, I would like for you to check in with the village elder there and gather what the situation is…"** Inuyasha closed his eyes in order to calm himself and said looking at his brother before bowing to him,

"**I'm on it Sesshomaru… I'll go as soon as possible and come back with a better sense of the situation…"** Sesshomaru nodded and watched as his half brother left the room, sliding the door closed behind him. Sesshomaru looked at the portrait of his father and said softly to the still picture,

"**Guide him otou-san…" **

When Inuyasha passed the front gate to the castle, the guards at the front gate nodded and said to Inuyasha as he passed,

"**Good luck to you Lord Inuyasha… May you come back safe…"** Inuyasha nodded and bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement, when the doors closed behind him; he started to walk through the town that surrounded his castle. Inuyasha had come to like this town, the combination of humans and demons made him feel at ease, and even though he knew of the hatred they had for the other, it was somewhat dulled by the fact that they had come to terms enough to live with one another. When Inuyasha passed by the shopping district, a group of female demons caught a glimpse of his silver hair and smiled, one of them giggling lightly.

"**I swear to everything that made me that the royal families' hair is almost ethereal… I'd give anything to run my claws through his hair…"** one of the other demons, a fox demon, sighed wistfully as she leaned against the wall next to her and said dreamily,

"**I'd give him anything he wants… all he had to do was look at me with those wild golden eyes and tell me…"** one of the other females, a wolf youkai, snorted in disgust and said crossing her arms,

"**Please, you're lusting after a hanyou, just the though of being in the same room with him makes me ill…"** it was then that another woman, with dark red eyes and black hair spoke.

"**Ah but that's where you're wrong Yumi… I've gotten far enough with him to know that even though he is half-demon, that half of him has the resolve, emotion, and power of a full-one…"** the other three girls all looked at the fourth woman with wide eyes and the wolf youkai said quickly,

"**And when did you acquire this information Ayane?"** the woman known as Ayane smiled knowingly and said walking away, a hint of mischief laced with her voice,

"**That is for only my knowledge…"** Ayane's brow creased in thought, in truth, she did not want to divulge that information to no one for two reasons. One would be that she would not like that information to come biting her in the behind, and two…

Ayane stopped walking and stood in front of the tree where it had happened. She touched the deep gouges the tree had in its bark and thought back to the night that it had happened…

_**Flashback**_

It was night, the torches that lit the city being the only source of light, and she scowled slightly as she passed a few human males, their stench reeking of filth and sake.

"**Stupid humans… you'd think they'd bathe before they get drunk…"** when she reached the outskirts of the town, she smiled and walked through the light bush, the sounds of the forest putting her at ease. It was then that Ayane heard someone groaning, and from the sound of it, it was a youkai. Her curiosity getting the best of her, she slowly made her way to the source of the sound, unafraid, yet cautious at the same time. When the source of the sound became louder, she heard what sounded like something hitting a tree, her heightened ears picking up the sounds clearly. The wind hit her lightly and she picked up a masculine scent that made her swoon slightly, her nose searching for the scent as it left her vicinity. This male was in the middle of heat. Right then Ayane took a step back. She usually avoided a male that was in heat, the fact that their judgment, along with their ridiculous tempers made for some potent deterrents. Slowly, Ayane took tentative sniffs of the air and found the scent almost too alluring to walk away from, the heady arousing scent underlined with something she couldn't put her finger on. She took one deep breath and moaned lightly while biting the back of her clawed hand, figuring out what was making her respond so fast and so well.

This male was Inu-Youkai… a full-blooded one at that…

To Ayane's knowledge, there was only one full blooded Inu-youkai in the immediate area, and he was lord of the western lands.

Ayane licked her lips at the prospect of a rut with none other than Lord Sesshomaru. Judging by the scent alone she could assume that the man was a strong, full-blooded youkai. Ayane slowly walked closer to the source of the scent that was making her blood rush to her cheeks and her breathing irregular. It was then that she was met with a small clearing, a small fire burning, and a few feet away from it, naked as the day as he was brought into this world, his blood red eyes honed into hers, was Lord Inuyasha, the bastard son of Lord Inutaisho.

At first, Ayane was attracted to the man, but when she had taken one lungful of his scent, she was instantly uninterested. He was half human. But now… She watched as Inuyasha walked towards her, his blood red eyes holding her stock still. Ayane openly admired the body that he was blessed with, the light highlighting his defined body and quickly shut that facet of appreciation. If she wanted to get out of this situation with her life, along with her dignity, she'd have to frigid, emotionless. When Inuyasha was standing in front of her, Ayane had noticed to her great distaste that he had backed her into a tree, one of his arms leaning against it, his head leaning in towards her face, his long shining silver hair falling down one of his shoulders and onto his chest. Inuyasha put his cheek to the side of her head and took one deep breath, savoring the scent of her hair and body, and Ayane knew that he'd smell a hint of her fear as well. He chuckled deeply and said into her ear with a husky voice that made her exhale shakily, her knees slowly giving way,

"**You scared little shadow demon?"** Ayane reached back and grabbed the tree behind her like it was her last lifeline, her anchor.

"**N..No…"** Ayane hating how weak her answer sounded to her own ears, and felt him use his other large, warm hand to cradle her head, as he licked the shell of her outer ear before nipping her earlobe with sharp teeth, soothing the sting by sucking on the lobe. Ayane gasped audibly as she tried desperately to gather the scattered thoughts that leaving her mind, replaced with a warm haze that made her entire body thrum with anticipation. When the hand that cradled her head slowly came down to the neck of her robe, she gasped and said breathlessly,

"**In…Inuyasha…"** suddenly the fog that filled her head was replaced with pain as she felt him bite her ear, claws digging into her skin dangerously, saying with a growl,

"**How dare you disrespect me… Address me the right way bitch…"** Ayane, with the fog still clouding her thoughts, said quickly as she felt that same wandering hand open her robe, exposing her to the night,

"**hai… Inuyasha-sama…"** Ayane couldn't believe that this man was in heat, usually demons usually just rut with any female they see, but not him… not lord Inuyasha. Ayane watched with glossy eyes as Inuyasha moved lowed down her body, licking the swell of the underside of her right breast before worrying the peak of said breast with fervor, heat pooling low in her gut.

"**Hai Inuyasha-sama…"** she moaned louder when she felt his warm hands caress her thighs and backside, before she felt his long fingers spread her legs wide. Ayane was shocked to find herself in such a compromising position, but found that she couldn't move, knowing full well that she could if she so desired. But when she saw lord Inuyasha stand in front of her spread legs, her kimono mostly open to reveal her body's secrets to him, and the sight of his erection and the thought of what he was going to do with it, combined with the sensuality of his actions, made her insides coil with want. When she felt a trickle of warm liquid flow from her core down her leg, she knew that she could not deny him anything.

"**P…Please…Inuyasha-sama… t..Take me… break me… I'm yours…"** she watched as his blood red eyes went alight in lust and said coming closer to her, stroking his erection,

"**Oh bitch I intend to…"**

_**end**_

Ayane closed her eyes as she touched the wood, the memory of what she did at that very spot making her ache for his attentions once more. Lord Inuyasha had rutted with her four times that night, each one better than the last. But it was the final one that left the lasting impression as she remembered the name he had called out for when he had surrendered to his passions. Ayane growled in anger and slashed the tree in front of her, leaving three claw marks surrounded with purple, acidic like energy.

"**Kagome…"** Ayane said with venom in her voice. He had used her body in order to satiate his own lustful needs. The day after their first meeting, she passed by him and noticed right then that he did not recognize her at all. Right then she had come to the conclusion that he did not remember what transpires when he was in his full demon form, and that his demon form was the reflection of himself, only without the inhibitions. Ayane crossed her arms angrily at the mental image of him that night, sated and spent, his arms wrapped around her possessively. It was then that Ayane admitted to herself that she was not angry at lord Inuyasha, no. Ayane was jealous, jealous of the unknown woman that kept lord Inuyasha's heart and desires for her own devices. Ayane had found the one thing that made her full, complete, and she got a good taste of it too. Ayane hated competition.

Inuyasha made his way to the village that was at the boundary to the western lands, his body running on auto-pilot as he let his mind wander.

"**There is no way in hell that he is alive…I was the one who gave the final blow…"** Inuyasha said to no one in particular as he jumped a rock face, landing on the other side cleanly before continuing his running. When he left a familiar pinch on his neck, he stopped on a dime and hit his neck with his hand, sighing as he drew his hand back and said in a tired tone of voice,

"**this is getting tiring Myoga… for once I wish you'd just come and greet me first before trying to bleed me dry…"** Inuyasha watched as the small man coughed slightly and had the decency to blush before speaking,

"**It is nice to see you well master Inuyasha…I bring news of Shippou's whereabouts, as well as relaying a message to you…"** Inuyasha took a seat on a rock and watched as Myoga jumped off Inuyasha's hand and landed on the ground, facing Inuyasha before he spoke once more.

"**First master Inuyasha, Shippou is with Sango and Miroku, and they are on the way to see you at Lord Sesshomaru's castle, though now its obvious that will not be the case now…" **

"**Did Miroku say why he wanted to speak with me so urgently?"** Myoga crossed his arms and shook his head.

Inuyasha's brow creased in worry, but Myoga quickly dispelled it.

"**To my knowledge, I know it's not something that will worry you Master… though now they will have to change their plans…"** Inuyasha nodded as Myoga jumped up to his shoulder and said to him,

"**Is everything okay Lord?"** Inuyasha looked out into the direction of his destination but shook his head before answering,

"**I have a bad feeling about this… There are rumors of a black mist coming out of the very ground where Naraku fell, my name heard screamed in hate throughout the night…"** Myoga expression went blank, there was no way he could come back, and everyone did so much to defeat him.

"**Myoga… please tell Sango and Miroku to take the route that leads to the same town I am headed to now… if they really need to speak with me that bad, I'll wait for them there…"** Myoga nodded in understanding before saying as he bounced off of Inuyasha's shoulder,

"**After I am done relaying my message, I will speak to Totosai about this strange matter, maybe he might shed some light on this strange situation…"** Inuyasha nodded and watched as he bounced away, leaving Inuyasha by himself. It was then that Inuyasha smelled something that made his head do a double take in the direction that Myoga left. He had the very faint smell of lavender, and a hint of something that made his heart beat faster at the mere thought of it Inuyasha shook his head and said running towards the town that was his destination,

"**Now its getting bad, I'm imagining her scent now…"** as he sped away, unbeknownst to Inuyasha, a small pitch black demon with bright red eyes listened to everything that had transpired. It let out a small cackle of laughs before running into a shadow, disappearing.

It came out of the shadows of a darkened room, lit by a solitary candle, and a solitary woman sitting in its light, as the black skinned demon crawled towards her hand, nuzzling her hand with its snout, its glowing red eyes closing and the woman pet it affectionately it climbed up her kimono-clad arm, settling on her shoulder and making chittering noises in her ear, making the lone woman's lips curl into a smile. As the small creature went into her lap, she pet it affectionately as she spoke out to the empty room,

"**You hear that children? Your new daddy is going to the town of Kimchi… lets go meet him there…"** the woman's red eyes opened, and in the darkness of the room, hundreds of pairs of glowing red eyes came out of the darkness, different sizes and shapes. Some of the creatures reached out to her, and she gave a feral smile as she took one of the clawed hands, helping herself up with it before she walked into the darkness, disappearing into it as the candle that lit the room went out.

**Authors Note: All right everyone! Everything is going to pick up from here I hope you're ready because from here on out is where I pray that I surpass your expectations!!! Once again thanks for helping out and making me feel all warm inside after reading your reviews!!!!**


	9. The one that decided to stay

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha in any way, shape or form, though sometimes I think it would be nice to be able to get away from your problems with a well that throws you into the feudal era…

"**How long did Shippou say he would be gone?"** Miroku said as they walked down the road. Sango thought for a second before it hit her.

"**He said that we should keep moving towards kimchi, and that he'll catch up, he wanted to get someone for Kagome to meet…"** Kagome was about to say who when she exhaled in exhaustion.

"**I think I'm out of shape…" **both Sango and Miroku laughed lightly at Kagome who in turn blushed in embarrassment but laughed with them until Miroku spoke up first.

"**Don't worry kagome you'll adapt… it's just been a while since you've traveled such far distances…but…"** Sango stopped herself as she stared at Kagome before looking to the floor.

"**Hm? What is it Sango?"** Kagome watched as she shook her head but then Miroku grabbed said for her, slight apprehension in his voice,

"**I think what kagome is trying to say is that… Kagome… usually you avoid looking at a dead body whenever you can… when we passed that dead person that we buried, you didn't look away… what changed your mind?"** Kagome nodded in understanding. Kagome walked in front of the both, Kirara in step with her as she spoke.

"**It was about three weeks before I came here, I was a resident at a hospital, and a resident is when you are kind of like an apprentice doctor. Anyway, I had the late night shift, and I was checking on some patients when someone stepped into the emergency room. It was a young man, no older than my younger brother souta. He was bleeding profusely through a stab wound in his side, and he had dragged his mother in with him, blood seeping out of a head wound. I ran to them both and yelled for help. I started to check on the boy but he slapped my hand away and told me to look after his mother first. I don't know what happened right then, but something in his eyes held me to his request. I at least told the young man to stop the bleeding from his wound by pressure and he nodded. When someone finally came with help, we started working on them both, as soon as we were done with the mother, I turned around only to see the boy, dead… with a small smile on his face, his tearing, dead eyes on his mother…" **

Sango and Miroku couldn't find their voices, and Kagome took it as a sign to continue.

"**A few days later everyone who was there had learned that the boy's father was an evil man, and had attacked his wife. But the man's son came in-between them, defending his mother, who had a lung condition, and could not over exert herself. He defended his mother, even though he knew it was pointless. The mother died a few days later, her last words mourning her dead son, who died protecting her, when it should have been the other way around… it was right then, as I stared at the lifeless body that lay in front of me, a plain white sheet covering her that I had wanted to come back here. At least here, the true demons are easier to spot. Sometimes I wonder, what would have become of that boy? Would he have become a writer? A poet? Would he have grown up to cure a disease? The possibilities were endless for him, and yet he was cut down by something he had no control over…" **

Miroku nodded at that. He knew of the helplessness Kagome felt. He had felt it too. To have no control over things that were beyond reach.

"**I'm so sorry Kagome…"** sango said as she wiped her tears silently. Sango knew all too well that all demons didn't have horns. Kagome stopped walking and looked back, a sad smile on her face.

"**After that day, I wasn't afraid of death anymore…"** Kagome then leaned against a tree as she talked.

"**By the way aren't we going to Lord Sesshomaru's castle?"** Miroku nodded and spoke.

"**That was the original plan, but last night Myoga came by and told us that Inuyasha was undergoing a scouting report and said that we should meet him in the place he was headed, which was the town that rests on the very outline of his older brother's territory, Kimchi I believe is the name of the city…"**

Right then they heard someone scream for help loudly. Without thought Sango, Miroku, Kirara and Kagome ran towards the source of the noise, and when they got to a small clearing, they saw what had made the noise.

It was a young woman, on the floor, blood coating her clothes, a lifeless body next to her face down, and a bird youkai towering over her. Without command, Kirara transformed and dashed at the beast, protecting the wounded girl. The bird screeched at Kirara, and was about to attack Kirara when Sango took action

"**STEP AWAY FROM HER DEMON!!!!"** Sango yelled at the creature as it turned its head towards them, blood already coating its jagged beak, the black feathers ruffled as it screamed at them. Right then the bird flew up and swooped at them. Miroku was the first one to move, meeting the youkai head on with his staff, hitting it in the beak. The bird youkai screamed as it reared its head back in pain. Sango saw her opportunity to strike and threw Hirakotsu, hitting the demon in its wing, making it crash onto the ground. Kagome watched as the bird ran around in pain, and took the chance to run for the wounded girl to make sure that she was okay. Right then the bird locked gazes with Kagome and she froze.

"**Oh no... I don't have a weapon…"** everything seemed to slow down as she saw sango and Miroku run towards her, and the bird's wide open beak coning towards her.

"**I can't die like this… I want to see Inuyasha… I have to!!!"** kagome thought to herself as she watched as the bird youkai got closer and Kagome dove away, the bird missing her by inches. Kirara quickly attacked the demon but missed slightly, feathers hitting the floor. Something came over Kagome and she quickly put up her hands in defense and closed her eyes, a soft pink light surrounding her body as she opened her eyes and watched amazed as an unknown force hit the bird in the chest, its screams could be heard as it hit a nearby rock-face and slowly faded away to nothing, purple flames surrounding its body. Kagome fell to her knees, unable to stand, feeling drained. Sango and Miroku stared at Kagome, wonder in their eyes at the scene that just played. They both shook it off and went to kagome and the unknown girl. When Miroku went to Kagome, she shook her head and said to him, while looking at sango who went to check on Kirara,

"**No… check the woman please…I'm alright, just out of breath..."** sango nodded and went to help Miroku. Kagome looked at the hand that released the arrow of light and watched as her hand was coated with a soft pink light, before fading into nothing. When Kagome caught her breath, she got up and checked on the young woman.

"**Are you okay?"** kagome said as she approached the girl, and watched as the girl started crying, tears sliding down her cheeks as she looked past kagome to the lifeless body lying on the floor.

"**I'm fine… but brother… is he…" **kagome quickly went to the young man, flipping him over and examining him. He had a big, deep gash in his chest, the blood starting to coagulate. Kagome checked his breathing, and sighed in relief as he was breathing, but shaking from blood loss. Without thought she took a blade that was near the young mans body and tore off a piece of clothing near her leg, and started to dress the wound, hating the fact that she did not have the supplies needed to help him further.

"**Miroku, help me pick him up…"** kagome said struggling to help him get up. Miroku quickly went to kagome and helped the wounded man up. Sango went to the young woman and said to her,

"**Quick where do you live?"** the girl nodded and said standing on shaky legs,

"**Quickly follow me, father can help him…"** without thought Miroku, Kagome and Sango followed the young woman, all their minds focused on the wounded young man.

A few moments had passed and they were in front of a large house they had never seen before, which addled both Miroku and Sango, seeing as they traveled this trail often. They both shook it off and waited as the young girl came back from running inside the house, her bloodied clothes still on her.

"**Please…bring him in…"** Miroku then took the young man form Kagome and slowly walked him in, before laying him on the floor softly, Kagome already going to work. The young man was still breathing shakily, and he was getting cold.

"**Is he going to be okay?"** the woman spoke out unshed tears in her eyes, as she watched the man breathed.

"**We don't know…"** Miroku answered for Kagome, sango helping her. Right then they heard a male voice speak out.

"**Please young lady, let me see my son…"** Kagome, Sango and Miroku looked up and saw a middle-aged man, dressed in a navy blue haori and hakama, his long black hair tied into a bun, and they stepped back as the man hovered over his son, and held out his weathered hands above his son, and muttered an incantation, saw everyone saw a green light envelop the young man, penetrating his body, and Kagome watched with wide eyes as the wound closed, and his breathing returned to normal. The middle-aged man had a dizzy spell and the young woman quickly came to his aid.

"**Father!!"** when she steadied him, he looked down at the woman and said looking at Kagome, Miroku, and Sango,

"**They must be tired… please Hina… prepare the onsen for them and I'll start supper…" **

**You don't have to sir…"** kagome quickly interjected. Even though the thought of a hot bath was very appealing, she didn't want to impose. The middle-aged man shook his head and said to her with a small smile on his face,

"**Nonsense young lady, you and your companions have saved the only things that keep me sane, it is the least I can do…"** Kagome only nodded in response as they both walked away, leaving Sango, Miroku and Kagome together in the living area. Kagome clenched her hands into fists in annoyance, and sango noticed it.

"**What's wrong Kagome?"** Kagome didn't reply right away.

"**I didn't even do anything… I don't have any of my medical supplies…"** Miroku knew where this was going and quickly cut her off.

"**Kagome you did the best with what you had… what the man said was true. If it were done any other way the young man might not have lived…"** Kagome nodded and let the silence of the room only be broken with the wounded man's breathing. A few minutes had passed before the young girl named Hina stepped into the room again bowing before saying,

"**Your baths are ready…"** Miroku was the first to stand up, helping Sango and Kagome stand to their feet before they followed the girl, her long brown dirtied with caked on blood. When they got to the hot springs behind the house, Kagome noticed that the medium sized pond was separated by a bamboo fence and suddenly an idea popped into her head. She turned to Sango and whispered into her ear,

"**Sango, why don't you so on the other side with Miroku…"** Kagome watched as the woman had the grace to blush furiously, despite being married to the man, and said hotly to kagome in a hushed whisper,

"**Are you joking? I can't do that!"** right then Miroku decided to speak as he bowed to Hina.

"**Well once again thank you Hina for your hospitality and with that I will go to the other side…."** Kagome watched with a playful eye as she watched Sango drink in the sight of her husband, and with new resolve, Sango quietly followed him, Kirara not too far behind, unaware of the bulging eyes of Hina. Kagome shook her head with a smile and grabbed the younger girl's wrist lightly, walking with her to the opposite side of the fence.

Kagome turned the wooden bucket upside down and let the hot water wash over her, sighing in relief as the heat penetrated her body. She then grabbed her hair and put it over her shoulder and bent her head as she scrubbed vigorously, at the same time watching the girl a few feet away from her wash her arms, the dried blood staining the water red. When Kagome was done scrubbing, she grabbed the bucket once more and dunked in into the pond, pouring the water over her head, laughing as she enjoyed the sensation of the water on her skin.

"**If you don't mind me asking, who are you people?"** Hina asked as she watched Kagome sit on a rock that was underwater, making the water cover her body up to her shoulders. Kagome looped a piece of her black hair away from her face and said as she looked up into the orange sky,

"**Well… my name is Kagome, the man with us is Miroku, and the demon slayers name is Sango… Along with the half-demon Inuyasha, we defeated the demon known as Naraku…"** Kagome watched as the quiet woman's eyes widened and she bowed lightly, saying as she raised her head,

"**I did not know that I was in the presence of the people who destroyed Naraku. This land will be forever indebted to you and your friends…"** Kagome waved her response away with a hand as she closed her eyes, before opening one while asking,

"**By the way Hina why was that bird youkai after you?"** Hina just shook her head, as sat next to Kagome, her brown hair matted down with moisture,

"**Well, me and my brother were getting herbs for my father, he has a terrible cough and the only place where we can get is there, where that bird youkai lived…"** Kagome absorbed the information but then heard a voice that she had not yet heard.

"**It is time for supper everyone!!!"** Kagome watched as Hina quickly stood up and ran for the entrance of the onsen, already grabbing her yukata and running. Kagome got up also and stretched, popping a few bones in her back, and sighed as it released the tension there. Right then Kagome heard a familiar voice cry out of breath,

"**Miroku!!!!"** Kagome shook her head and followed Hina, except for running.

"**Once again Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Kirara… I can't thank you enough for rescuing my daughter and son. They are all I have left in this world…"** the middle–aged man said before he took a long sip of green tea, his son slowly eating on his left silently, and Hina to his right, eating her food with gusto.

"**Hina! Manners! They're guests at our table!"** Hina stopped on a dime and looked at Kagome, along with Sango and Miroku, and said with the tips of her chopsticks in her mouth, a grain of rice on her cheek,

"**sumimasen…"** Kagome started to laugh, along with everyone else, as Hina blushed as she looked down at the table.

"**Don't worry about us, we were unlucky to have seen worse manners than hers… by the way how did you heal your son Mr.…"** the middle-aged man smiled and said to Kagome with a smile,

"**My name is Fuji… and as to the question you asked me, I was healer back in my younger days… as the years passed, to my eternal shame I stopped caring about others and abandoned my profession, seeing as there was no point. The evil of the world would always wound the innocent…" **

"**I have heard about healers that were able to harness the power of the earth in their bodies, and were able to not only heal the body, but the soul as well. I was never able to meet one…"** Miroku said as he finished his meal. Fuji filled in the rest of the blanks for him as Miroku took a sip from his tea.

"**Yes… we were just starting out to prosper and be known as a people who only cared for others, humans and demons alike. But then some humans starting spreading rumors to the wrong people, and to my great disappointment, my clan was blown to the four winds, most of them dieing to protect the few that could not. We were persecuted as demon worshippers, due to our extensive knowledge of youkai energies and killed as such…"**

"**That's terrible…"** Sango said as she pet Kirara, the slight purring setting everyone at ease. Fuji took a sip of tea before continuing.

"**It was then that I lost faith in humanity, and as Sango-sama would know, it is a most disheartening thing…"** Sango nodded before saying,

"**yes it is… to be taught that demons were the only evil in the world, only to find out that not just Youkai have horns…"** Fuji nodded in agreement, and everyone else mentally agreed with what Sango said.

"**It was a few days after my decision to stop helping humans when I found Hina and her brother Yumo in a town that had been destroyed by youkai… they were being covered by the lifeless corpses of their parents, their cries muffled by their dead parents… It was then that I decided to go against my previous decision. When I looked into their eyes, I saw the answer to my turmoil. Everyone does not start out on the dark path, so I took them in and raised them as my own… and been happy ever since…"** Kagome smiled and turned to look at the boy known as Yumo, and said to him with a small smile,

"**Well Yumo? Do you feel any better?"** Kagome watched as the young man blushed hotly and put his head down to hide it, and kagome heard his sister speak up,

"**You have to excuse Yumo Kagome, he's very shy towards women…"** right then Yumo put his head up and said shakily towards Kagome,

"**I'm doing…ve…very well Kagome… thank you for your help…all of you…"** right then Yumo felt something lick his hand and saw Kirara next to him, and he pet her behind the ear.

"**And a special thanks to you too little one…"** Kirara purred in appreciation before going back to Sango's side.

After that the dinner was filled with laughter and happiness, and when night fell over the land, Kagome was outside of the house as she looked at the sky as everyone else slept, her mind wandering.

"**Inuyasha… are you okay?… I want to see you so bad… but at the same time I never want to be in your presence ever again…it isn't that I hate you… never that… its just that I could never look into your eyes the same way as before. Because I know that when I look into your eyes, you'll look into mine and see right through me, see what I've done…"** Kagome thought to herself. She sighed as she stood up. It was then that she heard Fuji's voice.

"**Are you feeling okay?"** Kagome turned around to see the smiling face of the middle-aged man, and she watched as he walked towards her, stopping near her, and waited for Kagome's answer.

"**Yes… yes I'm fine its just that… my thoughts are shuffled and on top of that my powers are somewhat…different than I remember them…"** with that the middle-aged man made a small sound that represented interest and said standing in front of her,

"**Really now… mind if I take a look, I might be able to pinpoint your problem…"** Kagome nodded and watched as the middle-aged man muttered a small incantation and Kagome watched as his eyes took a bright green hue.

"**You are a very rare case Kagome…"** Fuji inquired as he studied her spirit.

"**What do you mean?"** Kagome wondered as she felt lightly scrutinized.

"**Well… in most cases, most living beings Ki comes from the center of their body, but you're the first living being, human or demon, to have their Ki source directly on top of your heart…"** Kagome nodded and asked another question as she watched the glow leave Fuji's eyes.

"**Is that wrong?..."** Fuji shook his head and sat down a few inches away from Kagome.

"**No… its not wrong… just rare… you see, there are many ways of harnessing Ki, whether be it a barrier as a miko such as yourself could do, or using it as a weapon such as Naraku. But there have been cases where with time, Ki can respond to emotions and desires of the user, giving them limitless possibilities…"** Kagome slowly exhaled a breath she did not know she was holding.

And she thought having miko powers was breathtaking.

Fuji just smiled at her surprised face, and continued.

"**Judging from the strength of your Ki, you are very strong, but have undergone few teachings on how to harness it, or control it for that matter…"** Kagome quickly looked at the floor and said quickly in her defense,

"**That's true. The most I could do would be to harness my power into my arrows…"** Fuji rubbed his chin thoughtfully, before saying thoughtfully,

"**Well, nowadays Ki is mostly used for attacks, people who can harness it in a variety of forms are hard to find…"** after about a moment of comfortable silence, Fuji came up with an idea.

"**Would you be interested in learning how to use your power?"** Kagome, surprised at the offer, thought about it quickly.

"**He's right! Learning how to use my power in different ways would be very beneficial, I'm tired of dragging everyone down. And most importantly, when I meet Inuyasha, I want to be able to meet him eye to eye…"**

Kagome then voiced her thoughts to Fuji, her decision already ringing in her head.

"**Fuji… we've just met, and I don't want to hinder you or your family…"** Fuji just gave a warm smile and said to her with a dismissive wave of his hand,

"**don't worry about such minor matters… something tells me that you're going to need the guidance… plus I'd feel nice to pass on the teachings that were brought on to me…so… what do you say?"** Kagome smiled at the weathered face of Fuji and smiled before coming to her decision.

**AN:**Phew!!!! There it is everyone!! Once again I an SOOOO SORRY that it took me so long, I wanted to do this right but then as usual reality came and kicked me in the ass so hard that I had to heed the call… once again I beg for your forgiveness and hope you stick around! Oh! And please drop a review, I hate to badger people, but I do admit it does give me a fuzzy feeling inside when I read one…


	10. lying within the darkness

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha in any, shape or form, I just do this for fun… can't you tell?

"**My name is Inuyasha and I've come on behalf of Lord Sesshomaru with matters concerning this village, could you please direct me to the village elder?"** Inuyasha watched as the young man nodded and slowly walked towards the house that resided in the middle of the bustling town. As Inuyasha walked, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. Inuyasha stopped walking and looked out into the crowd with humans and the occasional demon, determined to figure out what was addling him.

"**Master Inuyasha? Is something the matter?"** the teenaged boy replied as he looked back to see Inuyasha staring out into the crowd. Inuyasha just shook his head, and said politely to the young man,

"**Nothings the matter…please… take me to the destination…"** and with that they continued walking, unaware to the pair of glowing red eyes that stared at him before fading into the shadows from which they came…

"**It has been too long Master Inuyasha! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit this fine day?"** Inuyasha sat down in front of the old man as he spoke to him. Inuyasha couldn't help but smile at the old man, his genuine smile almost making Inuyasha smile back, but then the reason why he came to Kimchi slammed its way into his forethoughts.

"**Sadly, the reason I am here is not for leisure, according to the scroll you sent to Lord Sesshomaru, an odd mist has been hovering near this town, can you tell me anything about it?"** Inuyasha watched as the old man's expression became serious and listened intently.

"**About three days ago, one of the villagers had fallen ill, and it was determined that the cause of his illness has by breathing in poisonous fumes. We searched the town the following morning and found nothing to cause alarm. But then the next night, when we had set up posts, one of the men reported a dark purple mist coming out of the ground, your name said in pure hatred. The man had said that he had never heard so much hatred in a voice before that night…"**

Inuyasha sat stock still, frozen at the thought that screamed in his head.

"**He's back…"** Inuyasha shook his head and said quickly,

"**So he only comes out at night?"** the old man nodded and Inuyasha relaxed, liking the fact that no innocents will be harmed. Inuyasha sighed and sat against the wall next to the entrance to the home, closing his eyes.

"**So I gather that you will sleep in order to be ready tonight? I'll start dinner; I'll wake you when it's done master Inuyasha…"** Inuyasha nodded and slowly dozed off, the night ahead of him shrouded in mystery.

On the outskirts of the village, one woman could be seen sitting in front of a fire, the orange lighting the sky signaling the approach of night. Her kimono was disheveled and half-way open, one of her hands on her breast, the other between her legs.

"**Ah!"** Ayane moaned, her voice dripping with lust as she continued to play with herself, her eyes glazed over. She watched as the stars slowly came out one by one, night ruling the sky.

"**Ahn!! It…it's not enough!!!"** Ayane said to no one though the haze of pleasure, and stopped when she saw a male ogre demon a few feet away. The ogre laughed menacingly and said taking out his blade, rust and dried blood caked on it, staring at Ayane's body as she pleasured herself.

"**Well well little one, seems like I've caught you at a bad time, no worries though, I'll make sure that I'll scratch that itch for you, among other things…"** Ayane said nothing, still playing with herself, and looked into the darkness that was behind the large demon and said lovingly,

"**Come forth child, mommy needs your help…"** right then the ogre heard a loud footstep behind him and turned around, only to be met with darkness as his life came to a violent end.

Ayane watched, amusement in her eyes as she watched the large creature hit the ogre, blood splattering the tree nearby, the ogre's body hitting a tree violently, a moist, sickening thud could be heard as the lifeless body slid off of the tree, falling to the floor. Right then the large shadow made its way towards Ayane, and stopped near the fire. The creature was big, easily dwarfing Ayane, its physique lined with massive muscle, and it had a massive line of teeth that protruded out of its mouth, and piercing red eyes. Blood marred its left arm, its hand preoccupied with the head of the demon it just killed carried by the hair. Ayane stood and stared into the creatures glowing red eyes, and smiled as she reached out to it. The creature went on one knee and let Ayane pet it affectionately, before kissing the top of its head.

"**Your mother thanks you…"** right then the creature slowly walked away to sit down and take watch, while Ayane talked out to the darkness,

"**Who wants to help mother find happiness?"** suddenly many pairs of red eyes came out of the darkness, some of them moving anxiously with the thought of pleasing their master. When a small, imp-like creature with many red eyes protruding out of its body came out of the darkness, Ayane smiled and said holding out an arm to it. It quickly ran to her arm, perching itself on it, and nuzzled Ayane's cheek, before she spoke to it.

"**Mother needs you to find the one named Kagome… can you do it?"** the creature nodded slowly and then jumped off her arm, running with blinding speed into the night. Ayane sighed, her body left unsatisfied, and was about to go to sleep when an all too familiar scent hit her nose. Ayane eyes glazed over and said as she walked towards it,

"**He's here…" **

Inuyasha was walking around the perimeter of the town, worried about the night ahead.

"**I wish he would just show already, so I can get this over with…"** Inuyasha mused to himself as he unsheathed Tetsaiga and put it on his shoulders, anxious about the night ahead of him. Just then something caught his eye and he just barely ducked his head away as a blade cut the air near him, taking a few strands of his white hair. Inuyasha quickly went on the defense and glanced around the area, finding nothing but knew better than to believe his eyes. Right then he heard a screech pierce the quiet of the night and he without thought he swung the sword at the source, his voice booming through the night,

"**WIND SCAR!!!"** Inuyasha watched as the shockwaves raced towards their target and watched as a figure jumped out of the shadows, its red eyes glaring at Inuyasha with an emotion that he was familiar with. The dark creature hit the floor, gunning straight for Inuyasha, its blade like arm high, Inuyasha put up his blade for a defense and almost fell to one knee as the creature's blade connected with his, sparks flying.

"**Son of a…"** Inuyasha muttered as he quickly broke the stand off and swung his sword low, slicing into the demon's side, it shrill yelp of pain and the streak of violet colored blood that stained the ground was not lost to Inuyasha, who watched with an amused smile as it ran in an effort to recuperate. Inuyasha then gave chase, using the foul stench of its blood as he ran for a couple of minutes until he saw a woman sitting next to a fire, her arms around the small shaking creature, its blood staining the bottom her red robe. Inuyasha watched as the creature chattered in glee as it hugged its apparent master, before slowly walking into the shadows being cast by the fire, melting into it. It was then that Inuyasha's whole body tensed, for right then the woman's crimson colored eyes honed in on his.

Ayane felt her insides melt and her core throb as she stared into the eyes of the man that had turned her entire world upside down. She watched as Inuyasha looked around the site, the many sounds and eyes of my children making him uneasy.

"**Please children its okay, mommy's fine… go to sleep…"** Ayane announced to them and they all slowly faded away into the darkness of the shadows. Ayane watched as Inuyasha slowly let down his guard and she decided to help him get rid of it all together.

"**Do not worry my lord, they are gone, and will not cause harm to you… I beg that you forgive them, for they are very protective of me…"** Inuyasha, who had now put away Tetsaiga, walked tentatively to the woman and said to her,

"**I've never seen creatures such as those, and for you to exert such control over them, may I ask what kind of demon are you?"** Ayane smiled and said bowing her Inuyasha,

"**My name is Ayane Lord Inuyasha, and I am a shadow demon…"** Inuyasha swallowed nervously as he watched her slowly walk closer to him, her bodies charms not lost to his eyes. Shadow demons were known as powerful demons, able to control the very darkness of a person's heart if they so desired, for that was their specialty to put it succinctly. Darkness…

Ayane watched his eyes as he absorbed the information given to him, but smiled at the way his eyes roamed over her body.

"**Don't be timid my lord… I'm already yours and you don't even know it yet…"** Ayane projected to herself as she fought the urge to touch herself. He was so close. She could practically taste him on her lips again. All she had to do was make the right push and she would have him again. After all, before he was a human, or a demon, he was a man, and men always had weak spots. Ayane smiled to herself as the strange thought came to a close, before Lord Inuyasha, she did not care for any man, simply taking pleasure from them and killing them as soon as they fulfilled their purpose. But Lord Inuyasha had awakened something in her that she thought she never had…

The thirst for companionship…

Just the thought alone of having Lord Inuyasha as a mate made a shiver run down her body, and Inuyasha picked up on it.

"**My lady are you cold…"** Inuyasha said loud enough for only her to hear, his newly acquired manners somewhat irking him. He thought it was bullshit, but under the strict persuasion of his older brother, went along with it and to his surprise, found things could be done easier if you said the right things. Inuyasha made a mental note to thank his brother when he went back home. He watched as Ayane walked closer to the fire and said with a slight blush and a shaky voice,

"**No… I'm hot… and this lady begs that you take her, before her mind loses its sanity!!!" **Inuyasha watched with wide eyes as Ayane took off her robe, revealing nothing underneath but a small patch of black hair between her legs, the fire light dancing on her body giving her stunning beauty a goddess like image. Inuyasha felt his mouth go dry at the sight of her naked body, his erection already trying to break out of his hakama.

To ask Inuyasha about his meetings with women, would usually anger him, due to the fact that to his infinite embarrassment, there were none. He never wanted to be with another woman after Kagome, and probably never will. And to say that he was frustrated was an understatement. Inuyasha growled lightly as the previous memory of Sesshomaru sending him a concubine in order to satiate his starving younger brothers appetite for female flesh, sent his anger to level he did not knew he had possessed.

But right here, tonight, the opportunity presented itself, in the form of this willing female demon who at first glance looked like she was aching for it just as much as him.

Inuyasha watched as she drew her robe onto the floor and laid on it, her glossy crimson eyes honed onto the sky as she opened her legs and played with herself in order to quell the hunger. Inuyasha knew well about that. The night when nothing comes to mind but the touch of a desired one, but ended up as nothing but an unsatisfied orgasm as he reached by his own hand. He watched as Ayane slowly put a finger inside of her heat and saw her hips in excitement instinctually drive the rest of her finger home, making her breath hitch and her moan lusty. Inuyasha watched as Ayane rose her head and looked in between her open legs, saying with heated breath,

"**P…please lord…take me… it has been too long… no one interests me anymore, until I saw you… I thought it would be nothing ore than a fleeting affection, but now I cannot ignore it any longer. My nights are filled with your face and body, your name screamed by me as I try to satiate myself, but now it longer works. I need the original. I need what started it all. So please, Lord Inuyasha…" **

Inuyasha gulped as he hoped to all the gods above that she would not say it the way that would break his self-control, and give in to his desires, but no one listened.

"**Fuck me… take me any way you want… I'll never deny you anything…"** she said as she put her head down and started at the sky, thinking about what she had said to him. What she had said was true, ever since their first meeting no other man gave her the reactions she had now, and she was willing to do anything to get him all to herself. Right then Ayane heard his labored breathing and smiled inside, knowing that the last thing she said would break his resolve altogether.

Inuyasha on the other hand, was torn. His body felt heated, and the only thing he could think of was to do exactly what she said to do, his breath hot and heavy and the corner of his eyes taking on a blood red tint. But on the other hand something inside of him screamed out,

_**No!!!!! What about Kagome!!!!! You Promised!!!**_

Inuyasha felt his anger come to the surface as he thought it through…

_**She won't come back, and besides, she probably doesn't even remember you by now…**_

Inuyasha felt his heart clench at the honest observation, and with that he came to a decision.

Ayane was about to sit up with her elbows holding her up when Inuyasha straddled her waist, pushing her down at the same time, holding her hands above her head and looking into her eyes. Ayane felt his erection singe the skin of her flat stomach and shivered at the thought of what was coming. She looked up into her eyes and almost stopped breathing, for in his face, was lust incarnate, and it was all directed at her. Her core ached and she moaned as she felt Inuyasha slide his rather sizable erection across her stomach, the liquid from his excitement making the friction delicious for them both.

"**Ayane…tonight… is just for us…"** Inuyasha spoke as the red color started to go further into his eyes, kissing her hotly, making her moan.

Tonight was going to be the night of her life….

A.N: Phew!!! Okay!!! Now, do you want the lemon or do you not? I'm leaving it up to you… and just for those wondering when Inuyasha and Kagome will meet, it is VERY soon, and I promise very good things in the future!!!!!!


	11. 2 become 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha in any way, and there is definitely adult-oriented stuff in this story, read at your own risk!!!

Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes, his vision taking in the orange hue that was lighting the sky slightly. It was near dawn, the sky still mostly dark. Inuyasha felt weight on his chest and froze as he gazed at the raven-haired head that rested on him. It was then that what he did last night came to the surface. He let his head fall back with the floor with a thud, and for the first time damning the blood in his veins.

**I am such a fucking idiot…"** Inuyasha muttered to himself as he heard Ayane's breathing, her sleep deep.

Inuyasha absently petted her head as he thought about the situation that he found himself in, knowing full well that he walked into it somewhat willingly. Inuyasha sighed and slowly moved away from her, putting the excess robe he was laying on her as a blanket. When Inuyasha stood, he watched as the sun slowly creep up into the sky before he turned and stared at the ground.

He felt like shit…

He had gone along feeling nothing for the women that he came across, but as soon as one threw herself to him willingly, he caved. Inuyasha growled in annoyance, hating himself for his one lapse in self-control of his demonic nature. But then again, it was not entirely his fault. Inuyasha sighed as he put on his black hakama, tying it before going back to his thoughts. Ever since he let Kagome go, his demonic nature rose up in anger, making him feel unsure of his decisions. While his human nature rejoiced in the fact that he loved something enough to let it go, his demonic instincts screamed in upset at the fact that he had let the best thing in its life walk away with no fight at all. Inuyasha sighed as he grabbed his fundoshi and threw it over his shoulder, grabbing Tetsaiga with his other hand. Inuyasha had admitted to himself a long time ago that what he did for kagome was both stupid and smart. It was then that Inuyasha heard a twig snap a few feet away from him and he quickly turned around to see one of the creatures that stood with Ayane, and went to it.

"**Hello little one…"** Inuyasha said in a whisper as he went to the creature. It had many glowing red eyes all of over its back, and one big red eye where two were supposed to be. It was then that Inuyasha was caught by surprise as the creature bit his hand. Inuyasha grunted in slight pain before a vision passed his eyes.

Inuyasha watched as a medium sized house came to his vision and saw Sango and Miroku talking with what looked like an old man as they ate dinner. Inuyasha was confused as to why he was watching these events but froze as the vision panned to the left and saw a lone young woman staring at the starry sky, her long black hair playing with the gentle wind. When she turned around, Inuyasha gasped as he stared into brown eyes that he hasn't seen in years.

"**Kagome…"** right then the vision ended as he felt the creature's teeth wrench away from his flesh and crash into a nearby tree. He turned and saw Ayane standing with her outstretched right hand covered in dark purple energy that dripped to the floor, burning the floor at contact. It was then that Inuyasha looked into her eyes and it dawned on him.

"**You knew…"** Ayane put her arm down and chose her words slightly.

"**She does not deserve you…"** Inuyasha almost blew up right then, upset at the fact that she was making decisions about things that she wasn't even aware of.

"**You have no fucking idea what you're talking about!!!"** Inuyasha said, his anger getting the best of him. Ayane refused to stand down and spoke once again.

"**Inuyasha please listen to me… when I'm with you… things around me just bleed away… I've been searching for that feeling for so long… to be able to forget everything but the moment I'm in. Lord Inuyasha…please… let me into your heart. I want both of you, the form you show the world, as well the one you hide. I can love you in ways that Kagome will never even come close to… and I will do anything…anything to make you mine…" **

Inuyasha stared at Ayane, anger making his eyes slightly red. She was willing to hurt Kagome in order to get what she wants.

Ayane watched, hoping that Inuyasha would choose her over that stupid human girl. Ayane felt she was better than Kagome in so many ways. But right then Ayane saw Inuyasha withdraw Tessaiga from its sheath, the massive blade hitting the floor as it rested on the ground. It was then that Ayane knew what she must do. She'd do anything to get him, even if that meant doing it for him… she'd do anything…

_Some time later…_

Kagome looked into the forest, her eyes searching for something. Something was wrong, and it was bothering her to the point that it was annoying. She stopped looking at the forest surrounding the Fuji household and turned around when she heard Sango speak to her,

"**So? Are we ready to go Kagome?"** Kagome turned to her and nodded as she started to walk towards her, Kirara in her arms,

"**Yeah let's go, I don't want to get to kimchi too late, we've already stood with Fuji-sama too long… Shippou might even be there already…"** Kagome bent down and let Kirara go, and watched as she walked towards Sango, standing at her side. It was then that all of them heard a familiar voice speak out,

"**Actually, Shippou is right here…"** Sango, Miroku and Kagome turned around only to see Shippou with a small smile on his face, the sunlight catching the earring on his ear. He walked towards them and before they could say anything Shippou walked to kagome and hugged her lightly.

"**Hello mother…"** kagome was flabbergasted. She always knew that Shippou considered her to be his mother but now that the term hit her ears, she was at a loss. Shippou drew back and smiled at her confused face, and said before walking towards Miroku and sango,

"**Don't look so surprised, you know that I've always considered you my mother…"** Kagome smiled and looked towards the person that was hiding in the shadows behind Shippou. He noticed where Kagome was looking and smiled brightly before saying with an unknown emotion laced into his voice,

"**Mother… say hello to the girl that along with Inuyasha, taught me to become a man..."**

Kagome watched as the person slowly walked to the light, and when it hit her, Kagome first saw the gold bracelets that adorned her ankles, accenting her beautiful tanned skin. She was wearing a soft orange kimono, the bottom of the garment ending at the middle of her thighs. Her body was curvaceous, but not overly so, only hinting at her beauty. But the thing that caught Kagome interest the most was the woman's hair, which was a mixture of orange, yellows and reds, making her hair look like fire itself. Kagome saw the woman smile brightly; her eyes the color of the sky, shine and said with a smile,

"**Ohayo Kagome-san, my name is Fushicho Kumi, I've been looking after your son while you were gone… but that isn't the only reason I've been doing it…"** Kagome saw the woman bow her head in greeting and when Kagome walked towards her to tell her to stop she was astonished to realize that the air around was warm, but not overly so.

"**Really? Why then?"** Kagome found herself asking and when she saw Shippou's cheeks tint red she knew it was going to be a doozy of an answer. She watched as Kumi walked behind Shippou and wrapped her arms around him possessively around his chest, her hands snaking into the opening in his robe and put her face against his neck, her lips ghosting over the pulse in his neck,

"**Because Kagome-san, Shippou-Chan is going to be my mate…"** Kagome saw the heated look in her eyes and instantly knew that she was serious about it, and by the hazy look in his eyes, she knew that he didn't mind it at all.

Shippou saw the questions swirling in Kagome's eyes as to how this came to be and he decided to say it.

"**Kumi can let you in on the long version later on but to make it short, we bumped into each other and we knew what it was at first sight…"**

It was then that Kumi spoke.

"**You see fox youkai know their mates at first sight… I'm half fox…"** it was then that Miroku decided to ask a question.

"**Are you part fire demon as well Fushicho-san?"** she nodded and walked towards them and said hugging both Miroku and Sango in greeting,

"**Hai, I am part fox demon as well…"** right then everyone saw Shippou turn to the left quickly and balled his hand into a fist as he said,

"Father's coming and he's hurt!!!" right then everyone stood on guard, except for Kagome who was completely lost.

"**What direction Shippou!?"** Miroku said quickly, and is if on cue a loud explosion could be heard behind them and they all turned around and when Kagome saw the head of silver hair, she said his name without thought.

"**Inuyasha…"** Kagome watched as he climbed out of the crater that he had created, his fundoshi long gone, his chest littered with wounds, all with different levels of severity, the worst being what looked like a huge bite wound that bled black along with the red of his own blood. Shippou and Kumi immediately ran to his aid but Inuyasha stopped them dead in their tracks as he yelled while staring at the trees in front of him, Tetsaiga clenched in his hands,

"**DON'T MOVE!!!!"** everyone stopped running towards him and watched as a huge dark figure jumped out of the trees and landed in front of the clearing in front of Inuyasha. It was then that everyone saw what Inuyasha was battling. It was big, easily beating Inuyasha in size, and stood on four legs like a boar, various wounds on its body bleeding thick black fluids that singed the very ground it touched like acid, the ground turning a sickly brown, as if anything it touched could bring death. It had no defining features on it, the only thing that stood out were the big pair of red eyes, and a huge mouth full of teeth, some of it colored red, and a piece of inuyasha's clothing stuck in-between its teeth. Shippou was about to run to Inuyasha again but was held back by Kumi, and he said while struggling to get to him,

"**FATHER PLEASE!!! YOU'RE HURT!!!!"** Inuyasha turned quickly and said with his eyes slowly glowing red,

"**THIS IS MY FIGHT PUP!!!! STAY THE FUCK BACK!!!!"** right then the creature ran full speed towards Inuyasha and he quickly rolled out of the way before jumping in the air and pointing his sword down and slamming it into the beasts back, making it scream in pain. It bucked and threw Inuyasha off, his back slamming into a tree, leaving blood stains on the bark as he fell to the floor. Kagome watched, horrified as the beast fell to the ground, and died, its body melting into a puddle of acidic inkiness that none of them dared touch. When nothing but the Tetsaiga remained, Kagome was about to run to him out of impulse when Sango quickly stopped her. Kagome turned and looked at Sango with a scathing look and yelled to her,

"**LET ME GO!!!! INUYASHA'S HURT!!!"**

Sango did not take offense to it, and only said calmly to her,

"**Inuyasha is a person who thrives on his pride Kagome; don't take that away from him…"**

Kagome relaxed and watched as Inuyasha came out from the brush, holding his side that was still bleeding profusely, fighting for breath and hunched over. When he reached his sword he quickly turned his back to the group and went to the middle of the clearing, before using Tetsaiga to carve a circle around him and stabbed the earth with it. Kagome watched in awe as Inuyasha was slowly being bathed in a pillar of red energy, and closed his eyes as he floated up a few feet in the air, his hair flowing around him as swaths of red energy hit him lovingly, and purple energy flowed out from below him and into the sword, before going into the earth, the ground slowly becoming scorched.

"**He's told me about this… but he said he never tried it…"** everyone turned to face Shippou as he talked more to himself but still said it out loud.

"**He had said that his father had left him scrolls, things that would help him further Inuyasha's power naturally. The powers of a hanyou are mysterious ones, and yet even though he did not know the risks, he tried it..." **

"**He tried what Shippou…"** Miroku said as he watched in awe. Shippou swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat and continued, holding Kumi's hand as he spoke.

"**Inuyasha is using the ki of his demon side to cleanse and heal his body, and the purple energy that you see going into the floor is what's left behind from his injuries… he'll be fine…"** Shippou gasped with relief and said as he turned around and said in a low voice,

"**Come, lets set up camp… father will most likely be hungry after this, and to be honest I'm kind of tired after all the running I did today…Me and Kumi will handle patrol and finding food. Sango, Miroku, can you set up please?"** both of them nodded slightly and when they all slowly walked away from Inuyasha Sango noticed that Kagome had not moved an inch. Her hands were balled up into fists, her knuckles white as she tried in vain to fight the tears that spilled down her face. Sango was about to say something to her when Miroku lightly grabbed her hand and shook his head, walking Sango with him.

"**Leave them Sango… this is their time now… no one can stop what's going to happen when they meet again…"** Sango nodded sullenly, slightly apprehensive about the fated meeting.

Kagome stared at Inuyasha's tattered body as he flew in mid air. He was still bleeding from some wounds, but it was nominal compared to earlier. Kagome tried to swallow the lump in her throat but could only hiccup as she silently cried. She walked up to him and felt a mild shock pass through her body, making her yelp in slight pain. She raised her hand slowly and felt it again, realizing that no one could get near him when he was under this spell. She walked back and sat down against a tree, watching Inuyasha's body as the red energy passed, and licked his body, the purple energy's flow starting to slow compared to when it first started. When Kagome focused her blurry sight on Inuyasha's face, she stood stunned as she watched his eyes slowly open, the gold orbs staring into her. Kagome stopped breathing for that instant, before he closed his eyes again. Kagome watched, or at least tried to, but eventually, the events of the day aught up with her and before she knew it, she fell asleep as Inuyasha's youki bathed her in his presence, lulling her to sleep.

**Author's note: **

spotlight appears and I step into it

Ok, first off… let me get something off my chest… kneels down and bows deeply

I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY about the late addition of the new chapter, but I just got my dream job and I've been busting my ass to keep it. Now that the probationary period is over I can rest easy, and effectively write as well… I know I probably don't deserve them, but I'd be ecstatic if anyone or everyone could leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it… and as for the next chapter, everyone will get what they have been waiting for… the meeting of Inuyasha and Kagome… I hope I can make you people proud.

spotlight goes off suddenly

HEY! WHAT'S WITH THE LIGHT!!!!

hears mumbles

What do you mean I don't pay you enough!!! All you do is turn on the light!!! Ungrateful bastard… I'm docking your pay! NOW you can say I don't pay you enough!!!


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